Pros And Cons Of Paying Student Athletes

Many believe that college athletes should not be paid. The main debate against compensating college athletes is that they are at the university for educational purposes and playing sports is a benefit. The NCAA states, “Student-athletes are students first and athletes second. They are not university employees who are paid for their labor” (McCauley 10). Universities get all the financial benefits of the money earned from sports played from things such as team jerseys, sports passes and tickets, etc. Many argue that it is only fair to give a portion of the profit to the players that earned the money. It is very important when arguing for or against paying college athletes to not take into fairness, but to hold

“There’s far more that goes into being a professional athlete than being a college athlete. So many differences that people don’t realize. It’s not just about playing football and getting paid to do it. There’s a lot of things you have to deal with.” This quote was said by Robert Griffin, who is an American football quarterback that was drafted in 2012 to the Washington Redskins in the NFL draft. This man is explaining how there is a reason that professional athletes are paid. They are paid because they must deal with other things that college athletes don’t have to deal with and because they made it to the pros. Students should be against college athletes being paid because it is illegal, they aren’t at the professional level of play, and it would tear about the bond they have with their teammates. Not a lot of people can say that they did that and for college athletes to be complaining and taking money under the table is so wrong. You’re in college and your nothing compared to those guys. I don’t care if you’re the best in the NCAA, there is absolutely no reason you should be making money while in college. Most of these guys have full scholarships so there that’s your motivation to play.

Whether or not student-athletes should be paid has been a hotly debated topic since the 1900s. College athletes spend just as much time, if not more time, practicing and devoting time and energy to sports as they do academics. For this, many athletes are rewarded with scholarship money. However, many people believe it is not enough. Should we pay student-athletes a slice of the wealth or is a full-ride scholarship enough? (Business Insider). What if the athlete gets injured? Where does the money come out of to support each athlete’s salary? The huge amount of money being generated from college sports has led some people to think that the athletes are entitled to some of that revenue. While, some think that student-athletes should be paid, others disagree for various reasons.

Many student-athletes can have their whole career, their passion, and love of their respected sport taken away from them with just 1 play. The student-athletes are representing their respective school and making the school more popular and more students will want to enroll there and the student-athletes are making the NCAA millions of dollars, but the NCAA will not give the student-athletes just a little allowance because it will “ruin the integrity of college sports”. Student athletes-athletes should get paid because students could get hurt in one play, the NCAA makes millions of dollars on the the players, and it will make the players do smarter things with their money.

Every year, thousands of student athletes across the world sign the NCAA’s 08-3A Form, also called the “Student-Athlete” form, which waives their right to receive money for the use of their name and image. Like many of us in this class, these college athletes devote their time to their academics while spending additional hours with training and practices throughout the day and receive no stipend in return. This 08-3A form defines college athletes as amateurs, who cannot receive payment for playing their desired sport. While their schools and coaches may make millions of dollars in salaries and endorsement deals and are the highest-paid public employees in many states due to their performances in their desired sport, these “amateurs” can never

But why should a student athlete be paid in the first place? Their just athletes right? They go to school just like everyone else? What makes them so special? What makes a college athlete different than the average student is the amount of revenue that they help bring to their selected colleges. This type of revenue is made up from ticket sales, merchandise, media rights and contributions. “USA today” reported that the University of Texas generated $167.7 million dollars from their athletic programs, and that’s just one school. With this in mind, imagine just how much money other colleges are making from their athletics. Sure one can make the argument that they should not be paid because they are not professionals, but one can’t ignore the fact that they are bringing in millions of dollars and seeing none of it.

The debate about college athletes getting paid has divided people into different opinions on this topic. College athletics has become extremely popular and has turned into a job for many students. Playing a sport in college can make the players more likely to go to the pros. However it could also be a bad thing because the player could be likely to be injured while playing in the sport and ruining their whole career. The articles “College Athletes getting paid?” by Tiffany Patterson (2017), “Should college athletes be paid”by ??? (2017), “A way to start paying college athletes” by Joe Nocera (2016), Hearing held on bid to form first college athlete union. By associated press (2014) discusses the debate about college athletes getting paid it centers around scholarships, money made off of college sports and playing the sport is like having a job.

Most people don’t know that college athletes are already getting paid in different ways than just direct money. "A student athlete at a major conference school on a full scholarship is likely receiving a package of education, room, board, and coaching/training worth between $50,000 and $125,000 per year depending on their sport and whether they attend public or private university"(Dorfman). These athletes get training and coaching for free that professionals pay $2,000-$3,000 per week for. They also receive free schooling if they received scholarships from the school. They can also have free room which means the athletes don’t have to pay for their houses. The average college student pays $20,000 in tuition that these athletes get

The NCAA and companies like Electronic Arts receive billions of dollars of revenue every year through sales of memorabilia, video games, and miscellaneous items of these athletes. But, the athletes are not given a cent of those humongous earnings. Former University of Tennessee running back and All-American, Arian Foster stated, “I had a lot of teammates that sold drugs, they just trying to eat” (Schooled-The Price of College Sports). Although, it does not stop there. Despite the NCAA emphasizing and preaching that an education is priceless, in reality, the free education that the athletes are given are illegitimate. A University of North Carolina athletic Tudor stated, “When they leave school, they might be getting a degree, but they are not getting an education” (Schooled-The Price of College Sports). This is true because, the college forces the athletes to occupy their time with athletics instead of education. It is transparent that Student-Athletes are being taken advantage of by the NCAA and other high-profile companies. The fact that the NCAA forces these kids to violate the laws because of their strict rules is an absolute travesty. The athletes are being put at a disadvantage by the NCAA and their college because they are sent into an evolving world with a worthless degree and a nonexistent education. Student-Athletes should obviously be paid proven by statistics, information, and sheer common

College athletes should not be paid because college is for learning not a job. Students go to college to advance on their learning not to go to work. Paying college athletes would also go against the point of the NCAA and people already have scholarships so why would they get

The debate over college athletes being paid is primarily argued in NCAA Division I athletics, because that is the highest level of college athletics. However, that just strengthens the argument as to why college athletes should not be paid. At the Division I level, athletic departments are allowed to award student-athletes full-ride athletic scholarships. That pays for tuition, room and board, additional school fees, and—because of the pressure to pay athletes—certain cash allowances for food. The financial advantage earned by athletic ability alone is tremendous. With student loan debt rising to historic levels, every student would love to have that much financial assistance. The vast majority of college athletes will not play a professional sport. The scholarships that they earn give them an advantage by allowing them to receive an education without having thousands of dollars worth of debt to pay off. It is often said that education is the key to success, but the necessary education normally comes with years of

Paying athletes would change the whole aspect of recruiting a great deal. Whatever school has the most money available would likely get the recruit. College athletes are not professionals, so they should not be treated accordingly. If the athletes were paid, it would turn the whole objective of a college upside down. Because of these reasons, college athletes should not be paid.

One of the most popular pastimes in America is watching college sports. Whether it’s football, baseball, or basketball, these student-athletes bring fans, money, and sponsorships to their schools. So why shouldn't these athletes be paid? The answer is that student-athletes should not be paid, because they have the ability to earn scholarships or financial aid, college athletes are paid in other ways than financially, and not all schools have the money to pay them. Ultimately, paying college athletes would ruin the current culture and competitiveness of college sports.

Over the last decade, the question of whether or not to pay collegiate student-athletes has

College athletes should not be paid. “ They argue that the main purpose of going to college is to get a education, not to make money” (“Should college”...1). College is not a job, it is a place to learn. Also many college athletes receive scholarships to attend that school. “The value of the scholarships athletes receive during four years of college can be well over $250,000” (Weiss et al.1). Therefore, athletes