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The Value Of College Athletes

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There are many arguments in the realm of sports and athletics. One of the most controversial issues in today’s sports society is whether basketball and football college athletes should be paid for their performance. With the value of professional athletes skyrocketing, college players deserve compensation. The value of college basketball and football players is underestimated compared to that of professional athletes of the same sport.
The open market value of both groups of athletes shows similarities and differences. A similarity is both groups of athletes have an open market value of over $150,000. The key difference in the figure is the average value of both basketball and football players. Looking on the amateur side of the spectrum, the average open market value of a college basketball player hovers around $375,000 (Top). This figure is substantial considering college players do not earn a salary, and their only reward for playing sports is a scholarship to …show more content…

Should college athletes get paid? I think the answer is obviously yes, even if it is not a ridiculous amount of money like professionals receive. Many college athletes struggle to get through college because they do not have enough money for food or money to go out and have fun. Contrary to this, some professionals receive hundreds of millions of dollars for doing essentially the same thing kids 10 years younger than them are doing. Whether it is making a clutch 3-pointer, making a game saving tackle, hitting a walkoff home run, or even sinking a 35-foot putt from the edge of the green-- college athletes are making high school kids want to go to the school they play for, much like professionals help their team recruit free agents to come play in their beloved city. Professionals do have more experience, though this does not directly translate to skill level. Athletes in college and professional leagues should receive benefits based on their skill, and nothing

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