preview

College Football Players Should Not Be Paid

Decent Essays

College football players have never been financially compensated for their participation outside of usual academic scholarships. Skyrocketing revenue figures for colleges are now challenging that tradition. With those earning reaching eight figures for large-market institutions, players are looking to get their fair share of the prize (Siebold). The players believe that their schools should not be allowed to capitalize on their services, and therefore they should be monetarily rewarded (Cooper 12). This proposal essentially upends the ideals of college athletics. College football players should not be paid in order to preserve their amateur status and uphold the prototype of the student-athlete. The issue of paying college football …show more content…

USA Today writer Steve Siebold notes “It’s a flawed equation because everyone wins except for the very people responsible for it all” (Siebold). In addition, supporters argue that current academic scholarships are no longer sufficient for college athletes, especially those who will not earn large paychecks at the next level (Murphy and Pace 173). Siebold states that the players who don’t go on to play professionally still deserve compensation for the sacrifices they make in their college years. Additionally, supporters believe that college athletes should be monetarily awarded because they are tasked with being both a full-time athlete and full time student (Schneider 232). They are earning money for their institutions at the expense of study time that is available to traditional students. In his book Varsity Green: A Behind the Scenes Look at Culture and Corruption in College Athletics, Mark Yost notes “The athletes will have three to five less hours per day to study than other students because their second job-sports-commands so much time and energy” (Yost 16). Therefore, supporters say that it is only fair for athletes to be compensated for their sacrifice, especially if their schools are financially capitalizing on their participation (Huang). These arguments are illogical in the sense that NCAA athletics are meant to support and environment of amateurism. In his article “They’re Colleges, Not the Minor Leagues”, Michael McPherson notes

Get Access