The Legality, Morality, & Social Responsibility of Paying College Athletes

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

“College Athletes for Hire, The Evolution and Legacy of the NCAA’s Amateur Myth” written by Allen L. Sack and Ellen J. Staurowsky. In their book, the authors enlighten the reader on such issues as athletic scholarships, professionalism in college sports, and favoritism for athletes as well as many more important legal, and ethical issues that we as a country need to address. In this paper I will not do a standard book report by simply regurgitating the information I read in their book.

With the universities pulling in more than twelve billion dollars, the rate of growth for college athletics surpasses companies like McDonalds and Chevron (Finkel, 2013). The athletes claim they are making all the money, but do not see a dime of this revenue. The age-old notion that the collegiate athletes are amateurs and students, binds them into not being paid by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). This pay for play discussion has been talked about since the early 1900s but recently large steps are being made to actually make a change. There are many perspectives on the payment of collegiate student athletes coming from the NCAA, the athletes themselves, and the university officials.

It is the NCAA’s policy that no student athlete shall receive any special benefits or compensation in regard to their status as an athlete of a university. This basically means that no player can accept gifts or services with any special benefits from school or athletic personnel, or receive any benefits for outside entrepreneurship for reasons regarding their play. For example, a student athlete cannot sign a jersey with their number on it and exchange it for any type of compensation. However, over the past few years, many scandalous conspiracies of soliciting services to athletes for their commitment and play have surfaced. Due to the NCAA’s stance on this issue many of these violations have left athletics programs with sanctions that in reality are very unnecessary and hardly ever punish those who initially violated the rules. The fact is that the college athletics generates on average 10.5 billion dollars of revenue annually, and the NCAA organization alone, about 720 million annually. Of that 720 million that the NCAA accounts for, only 60 percent of that is returned to the Division I universities whose athletics accounted for almost all of it. The rest is dispersed into other funds such as championship games and the national office services, with a small amount being paid to division II and III schools. However, of that 60 percent paid back to the Division I schools, which amounts to approximately 430 million dollars, the majority is spent by the University on

The question of whether or not college athletes should get paid is of heated debate in todays times. While many believe that student athletes are entitled to income, It remains undougtibly a concern of moral interest to universities across the country. This paper is going to explain the pros and cons that come with allowing student athletes the right to receive a salary.

In the United States, college athletics are growing larger by the minute. College athletics contribute not only to the recognition of colleges and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), it also contributes to the income of colleges and the NCAA. Without student athletes, these colleges and the NCAA would not reap the benefits of college athletics, such as: increased awareness of colleges, higher application rates, and of course the revenue brought in from game and event tickets, apparel, and contracts for licensing and television rights. Since the student athletes, who devote a great deal of time to their sport, are the cog in the machine that is the NCAA and college athletics, they deserve the fair and rightful compensation that they certainly do not currently receive. Here is exactly why student athletes in the NCAA should be compensated for what they do for their colleges, on and off the field of play.

Kristi Dosh and Mark Cassell have contrasting opinions about compensation of college athletes. Dosh’s opinion is that college athletes should not be paid because there are problems associated with it. She inquires, “The first question I ask people when they say college athletes should be paid is: where is the money going to come from?” (477). She exposed only a few colleges are turning a net profit. She mentions that paying athletes who are mostly male could cause issue with federal laws like the

I understand why the NCAA doesn't allow players on getting paid because they are trying to keep it amateur and it will cost the school a lot of money and it will bring athletes to schools who don’t have what they want to study for which can be a problem. But I'm not saying to pay them tens of thousands or millions but at least help take care of your players by giving them at least 100 dollars or something. There are a majority of students who live in poverty can't afford a lot and for some students the scholarship was their breakthrough to become an athlete who makes millions and takes their family out of being poor but they have a long way there and already have one road block in it.

Abstract:  Collegiate athletes participating in the two revenue sports (football, men's basketball) sacrifice their time, education, and risk physical harm for their respected programs. The players are controlled by a governing body (NCAA) that dictates when they can show up to work, and when they cannot show up for work. They are restricted from making any substantial financial gains outside of their sports arena. These athletes receive no compensation for their efforts, while others prosper from their abilities. The athletes participating in the two revenue sports of college athletics, football and men's basketball should be compensated for their time, dedication, and work put forth in their respected sports.

The article responds to the debate about if college athletes should be paid on top of their scholarships/benefits. Critics of college sports argue that these student athletes are being exploited because it is possible for schools to generate revenue from TV contracts and other beneficial arrangements. Ackerman and Scott, both commissioners of a conference/sport, respond by stating “College is a time from learning, and college sports provide young men and women alike a chance to learn, grow, graduate, and achieve great things in life.” The purpose of this article is to educate the audience, critics of

During the selling of NCAA Football games by EA sports, some schools made up to $140K a year while the players received nothing. Other events, such as the FBI crackdown of college staff members paying high school athletes to commit to the college they’re apart of, as well as the release of LaMelo Ball’s signature shoe (which led to him signing to a Lithuanian team in fear of his NCAA eligibility being revoked due to him receiving money from the shoe) has only mounted to the importance of the debate of whether college athletes should be paid or not. Combined with suggestions from former college athletes, ruined dreams due to injuries, to players losing NCAA eligibility, it is clear to me that they should stop being overly restricted and

The ethics behind paying college athletes have beneficial and appalling. That many athletes and coaches have no sense of ethical decision making or morals. The belief of not paying their athletes with money, but through scholarships. Student athlete’s activity make up most of the revenue that comes into the school. In the National Collegiate Athletic Association is making huge revenues of college sports and video games to, and not compensating athletes on their makings. The controversy of paying amateur athletes brings up bribing players with expensive items and money. Go against the rules and regulations that the N.C.A.A has in place. The N.C.A.A have stakeholders are the athlete themselves that promote N.C.A.A. The N.C.A.A provides scholarships

Colleges and Universities, along with the NCAA, make money hand over fist off the backs of student-athletes while the athletes themselves get nothing. Players give upwards of forty five hours a week to practice their trade, negatively affecting their ability to get strong grades and a solid education, while eliminating the possibility of earning any additional income for themselves or their families. On the field, players quite literally run the risk of injuring themselves in a way that could impact them for the rest of their lives. For their troubles, they get a sub-par education and one in a thousand shot at an NFL career. College football players are being ripped off. They deserve

Scholarships are inadequate to fulfill the full cost of the college experience, As a result they find themselves struggling financially but do not have enough time to find a part time job as they are busy 80 hours a week between school and their sport. They bring in billions of dollars in revenue for the NCAA but they do not see one dime of it as it is distributed back to the schools to pay for the coaches and staff. Even though a coach has a significant impact on the success of the team , the players are the ones that actually risk their bodies day in and day out.These students are being pulled away from their homes to be exploited while their coaches are making a six figure salary. It is not fair that the star player of a university, can struggle to even afford to eat a piece of pizza outside of school. That being said division 1 college athletes, who are making millions of dollars for their schools should get an allowance teach them financial responsibility which can ultimately help the players more in their

College sports are big business. For many universities, the athletic program serves as a cash-generating machine. Exploited athletes generate millions of dollars for the NCAA and their schools, and never see a dime. In terms of profit, if all ties with the university were eliminated, an athletic program acting as its own separate entity could compete with some fortune 500 companies. So, why do the vital pieces of the machine, the players, fail to receive any compensation for their performance? The answer lies in the money-hungry NCAA and their practice of hoarding all the revenue. College athletes should receive payment for their play to make their college experience more bearable because they create huge profits and