College Athletes Should Be Paid
"More than 460,000 college athletes make up the 19,000 teams that send more than 54,000 participants to compete each year in the NCAA's 90 championships in 24 sports across 3 divisions" (NCAA). This statistic is imprinted on the cover page of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) official website. These teams are watched closely by many fans all year and bring in a large amount of money. The issue with the NCAA is that even though these 460,000 college athletes play their desired sport, none of them are payed for the job they are doing. It has been an American tradition for many years that people get payed for the job they do. However, colleges are failing to do this with their athletes. This problem is only getting worse as
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the cost of college is rising, and colleges are bringing in more money from these sporting events each year. Some people claim that college students do not deserve to payed for the work they put in throughout the year because they are already provided with an education. They fail to mention that this education is not free for a large amount of these student-athletes. This is just one of the many reasons why colleges need to evaluate their athletic programs.
College Athletes Deserve to be paid
One of the many reasons to why colleges need to evaluate their athletic programs is because the athletes deserve to be paid.
From the money colleges make off of athletic events, the athletes performance is a major contribution to this profit made. The most recent year that the revenue made by the NCAA is available is 2011-2012. That year, the NCAA made $871.6 million. This money is distributed to many groups involved in the process of the NCAA and programs affiliated with it. However, the most important group in this process, the players, fail to receive any income from this revenue. This revenue is received by a couple of different sources. These categories of sources include contributions facilities make, sales and services, officials, investments, championships, and largest of all: television and marketing rights fees. These athletes are involved in these athletic events just as much as or more than any coach, manager, owner, broadcaster, or anyone else associated with these sporting events. So why do they not receive a piece of the pie? These players work their butt off year round to compete for one season of the year. It is estimated that college athletes put in about 50 hours a week training or practicing for their specific sport. This is more time than many people work a week, and these student-athletes are doing this on top of taking their classes. Another reason why these athletes deserve to be paid for their performance is due to the high risk they put themselves …show more content…
in to play these sports. From the most recent injury fact sheet conducted by the NCAA, the sport of football alone had over 41,000 injuries from 2004-2009. The sovereignty of these injuries could determine the amount of time athletes are able to continue to play their desired sport. These players are putting in so much hard work for sports many hurt themselves to play for the chance to play at a professional level. If a college athlete was to get injured severely, it may ruin any chance they might have at going on to the professional level. This would not only wreck the dream of an athlete, but it would also affect the future for this athlete. Now these athletes are unable to make the large amount of money the pro’s make. That is why they deserve to make some type of salary while playing a sport in college. Many of these athletes need the money. Student-Athletes do not have time to have a job because they devote so much of their time either doing school work or participating in sports. It is already a great enough struggle to maintain the high grade point average the colleges require for these athletes to play these sports, so a job is out of the question. Even though these athletes aren’t able to make money, they still have the same amount of expenses as a normal college student. Athletes still have to pay for gas if they drive, have to pay for food to eat throughout the week, and necessities everyone need throughout a college semester. Aside from these basic expenses for all college students, athletes also need to purchase certain items for the sports they play and for the trips they have to make to compete against other teams. These athletes need some type of income to pay for these expenses. College is already stressful enough, not having any money to spend with the chaotic schedule of a college athletes is an issue that does not need to be added to the stress. It is easy to see that these athletes need to be paid. College Athletes have a major contribution the income colleges bring in, put themselves at a high risk of injury while performing, and need the income.
The Future of Student-Athletes
Another reason why colleges need to evaluate their athletic programs is to benefit college athletes for their future. More college athletes would complete college and get a degree if they were payed to play the sport they participate in. College Athletes aren’t going to stay in college and have to struggle with doing school work and sports when they can go on to the professional level and acquire the large income pro-athletes receive. As of right now, both the NBA and the NCAA requires college basketball players to play at least one year of college basketball before entering the NBA (NCAA, 2016). Most college players look to only play college basketball for the one year required so they can advance to the professional level. This method has been effective for many college athletes, especially for athletes that have played for the University of Kentucky. Since coach John Calipari took the head coaching job in 2010, Kentucky has sent 19 players to the NBA. Out of these 19, 13 of them have been “one and done” players, thus meaning they played one year of college basketball and went on to play at the professional level (NCAA 2015). Coach Calipari is happy to be known for this success and made up the catch phrase “succeed and proceed” to replace “one and done”. He is proud to have these players come win championships for his team and then go make money at a professional level. However, these players won’t be getting any type of degree if they go pro after one year. That is why if college players were to be payed, they might would consider staying in college. Thus, eliminating the many “one and done’s” in the NCAA. Being payed would also give college athletes a back-up plan. These athletes would stay in college since they are getting payed and get that degree in their desired interest. Then if they do happen to go on to play at a professional level, they would be able to have a career to fall back on. Many players go on to the professional level but it may not work out. They could stop playing because of injury, getting cut from a team, or get too old to play the game, as all players do eventually. If one of these things were to happen, this athlete would be without a job. If they had a degree from college, it would allow them to get a job easier. Also, it would give them a job that they enjoy to do because they chose to pursue a degree in that certain major. This can also be key for those players who retire from a professional sport. Most players in the NFL for instance retire between the age of 30-40 years old. That means that these players still have many years left in their life. It would be much better for these retired players to pursue a career that they enjoyed to do for the rest of their life rather do something they hate due to them not having any type of degree. Lastly, a salary would benefit college athletes for their future by giving them a source of revenue to invest. Just because they are in college and are a gifted athlete, doesn’t mean they don’t need money. As I previously stated, college athletes have many expenses. If they did happen to gain money from getting a salary, it would only help them for their future. Something to remember about these student-athletes is that they have to make good grades in order to be eligible to play a sport. That means these are smart young adults eager to pursue a career. Certain assets are essential when it comes to pursuing a certain career such as looking sharp or having the materials necessary to start a job. This money these student athletes would acquire could help pay for some of these things. This, just like causing more college athletes to graduate and giving them a back-up plan, would benefit them for their future.
Responsibilities of College Students
Finally, colleges need to reevaluate their athletic programs to help improve the responsibilities of their students.
Student-athletes would be more responsible if they earned a salary for playing their desired sport. First of all, it would make them more financially stable. Student-athletes would acquire more knowledge in how to handle money if they were able to make it while in college. As college athletes go from playing at the collegiate level to the professional level, they are going from acquiring no income to being payed millions. Many of these players do not know how to handle their money so they can spend it wisely. “According to Sports Illustrated story, as many as 60 percent of NBA stars go broke or face serious financial hardships after only a few years of retirement.” One player in the NBA star that is a part of these 60 percent is Allen Iverson. It was said that that he hated luggage so much that he would buy new outfits every time he went on a road trip (National Public Radio NPR, 2015). The reason why these stars are going bankrupt after retirement is because they do not know how to handle their money correctly. If they were received an income in college, it would give them an insight on how to spend money wisely before they make the big bucks in the pro’s. Student-Athletes would also have to take on responsibility by having a costlier discipline action for going against any NCAA rules. College Athletes who get in trouble often have to pay the price of being
suspended for a certain amount of games. Depending on the severity of the crime these players get into, the penalty could involve being suspended a couple games or even being kicked out of a school. To some players, being suspended a couple games does not mean much. However, if these players received a salary, it would be much more severe to be suspended for a couple of games and not receive pay. This could solve many discipline problems that the NCAA has and would make players realize the consequences of doing wrong. Lastly, it would teach college athletes responsibility by allowing them to provide for their family. Many college athletes come from poor families and look at sports as a way to help them get out of poverty. This income that they received in college would allow them a little bit of money to buy the things they need while in college. Many of their families are unable to spend the required money for college expenses so this would allow the student to pay for their own needs. Then, if these athletes were able to make it on to the professional level, they would be able to give a portion of their major earnings to their families to help them get out of poverty. Also, some college athletes may already be looking to start a family of their own while in college or just as they are getting out of college. This salary that they earn while in college would give them the opportunity to invest in a house, car, or any other necessity needed to start a family. It is evident that players would gain a greater sense of responsibility if they earned money by being more financially stable, giving them costlier discipline actions, and allowing them to provide for their family.
In conclusion, college athletes need to reevaluate their athletic programs for several reasons. The obvious solution to many problems that occur within college athletics is the fact that athletes are not payed. College Athletes deserve to be paid for their performances, a salary would benefit college athletes for their future, and it would give athletes a better sense of responsibility if they were payed. These points should have shown that these benefits would not only benefit athletes but college athletics as a whole. Thus, furthering the future for college sports.
the cost of college is rising, and colleges are bringing in more money from these sporting events each year. Some people claim that college students do not deserve to payed for the work they put in throughout the year because they are already provided with an education. They fail to mention that this education is not free for a large amount of these student-athletes. This is just one of the many reasons why colleges need to evaluate their athletic programs.
College Athletes Deserve to be paid
One of the many reasons to why colleges need to evaluate their athletic programs is because the athletes deserve to be paid.
From the money colleges make off of athletic events, the athletes performance is a major contribution to this profit made. The most recent year that the revenue made by the NCAA is available is 2011-2012. That year, the NCAA made $871.6 million. This money is distributed to many groups involved in the process of the NCAA and programs affiliated with it. However, the most important group in this process, the players, fail to receive any income from this revenue. This revenue is received by a couple of different sources. These categories of sources include contributions facilities make, sales and services, officials, investments, championships, and largest of all: television and marketing rights fees. These athletes are involved in these athletic events just as much as or more than any coach, manager, owner, broadcaster, or anyone else associated with these sporting events. So why do they not receive a piece of the pie? These players work their butt off year round to compete for one season of the year. It is estimated that college athletes put in about 50 hours a week training or practicing for their specific sport. This is more time than many people work a week, and these student-athletes are doing this on top of taking their classes. Another reason why these athletes deserve to be paid for their performance is due to the high risk they put themselves …show more content…
in to play these sports. From the most recent injury fact sheet conducted by the NCAA, the sport of football alone had over 41,000 injuries from 2004-2009. The sovereignty of these injuries could determine the amount of time athletes are able to continue to play their desired sport. These players are putting in so much hard work for sports many hurt themselves to play for the chance to play at a professional level. If a college athlete was to get injured severely, it may ruin any chance they might have at going on to the professional level. This would not only wreck the dream of an athlete, but it would also affect the future for this athlete. Now these athletes are unable to make the large amount of money the pro’s make. That is why they deserve to make some type of salary while playing a sport in college. Many of these athletes need the money. Student-Athletes do not have time to have a job because they devote so much of their time either doing school work or participating in sports. It is already a great enough struggle to maintain the high grade point average the colleges require for these athletes to play these sports, so a job is out of the question. Even though these athletes aren’t able to make money, they still have the same amount of expenses as a normal college student. Athletes still have to pay for gas if they drive, have to pay for food to eat throughout the week, and necessities everyone need throughout a college semester. Aside from these basic expenses for all college students, athletes also need to purchase certain items for the sports they play and for the trips they have to make to compete against other teams. These athletes need some type of income to pay for these expenses. College is already stressful enough, not having any money to spend with the chaotic schedule of a college athletes is an issue that does not need to be added to the stress. It is easy to see that these athletes need to be paid. College Athletes have a major contribution the income colleges bring in, put themselves at a high risk of injury while performing, and need the income.
The Future of Student-Athletes
Another reason why colleges need to evaluate their athletic programs is to benefit college athletes for their future. More college athletes would complete college and get a degree if they were payed to play the sport they participate in. College Athletes aren’t going to stay in college and have to struggle with doing school work and sports when they can go on to the professional level and acquire the large income pro-athletes receive. As of right now, both the NBA and the NCAA requires college basketball players to play at least one year of college basketball before entering the NBA (NCAA, 2016). Most college players look to only play college basketball for the one year required so they can advance to the professional level. This method has been effective for many college athletes, especially for athletes that have played for the University of Kentucky. Since coach John Calipari took the head coaching job in 2010, Kentucky has sent 19 players to the NBA. Out of these 19, 13 of them have been “one and done” players, thus meaning they played one year of college basketball and went on to play at the professional level (NCAA 2015). Coach Calipari is happy to be known for this success and made up the catch phrase “succeed and proceed” to replace “one and done”. He is proud to have these players come win championships for his team and then go make money at a professional level. However, these players won’t be getting any type of degree if they go pro after one year. That is why if college players were to be payed, they might would consider staying in college. Thus, eliminating the many “one and done’s” in the NCAA. Being payed would also give college athletes a back-up plan. These athletes would stay in college since they are getting payed and get that degree in their desired interest. Then if they do happen to go on to play at a professional level, they would be able to have a career to fall back on. Many players go on to the professional level but it may not work out. They could stop playing because of injury, getting cut from a team, or get too old to play the game, as all players do eventually. If one of these things were to happen, this athlete would be without a job. If they had a degree from college, it would allow them to get a job easier. Also, it would give them a job that they enjoy to do because they chose to pursue a degree in that certain major. This can also be key for those players who retire from a professional sport. Most players in the NFL for instance retire between the age of 30-40 years old. That means that these players still have many years left in their life. It would be much better for these retired players to pursue a career that they enjoyed to do for the rest of their life rather do something they hate due to them not having any type of degree. Lastly, a salary would benefit college athletes for their future by giving them a source of revenue to invest. Just because they are in college and are a gifted athlete, doesn’t mean they don’t need money. As I previously stated, college athletes have many expenses. If they did happen to gain money from getting a salary, it would only help them for their future. Something to remember about these student-athletes is that they have to make good grades in order to be eligible to play a sport. That means these are smart young adults eager to pursue a career. Certain assets are essential when it comes to pursuing a certain career such as looking sharp or having the materials necessary to start a job. This money these student athletes would acquire could help pay for some of these things. This, just like causing more college athletes to graduate and giving them a back-up plan, would benefit them for their future.
Responsibilities of College Students
Finally, colleges need to reevaluate their athletic programs to help improve the responsibilities of their students.
Student-athletes would be more responsible if they earned a salary for playing their desired sport. First of all, it would make them more financially stable. Student-athletes would acquire more knowledge in how to handle money if they were able to make it while in college. As college athletes go from playing at the collegiate level to the professional level, they are going from acquiring no income to being payed millions. Many of these players do not know how to handle their money so they can spend it wisely. “According to Sports Illustrated story, as many as 60 percent of NBA stars go broke or face serious financial hardships after only a few years of retirement.” One player in the NBA star that is a part of these 60 percent is Allen Iverson. It was said that that he hated luggage so much that he would buy new outfits every time he went on a road trip (National Public Radio NPR, 2015). The reason why these stars are going bankrupt after retirement is because they do not know how to handle their money correctly. If they were received an income in college, it would give them an insight on how to spend money wisely before they make the big bucks in the pro’s. Student-Athletes would also have to take on responsibility by having a costlier discipline action for going against any NCAA rules. College Athletes who get in trouble often have to pay the price of being
suspended for a certain amount of games. Depending on the severity of the crime these players get into, the penalty could involve being suspended a couple games or even being kicked out of a school. To some players, being suspended a couple games does not mean much. However, if these players received a salary, it would be much more severe to be suspended for a couple of games and not receive pay. This could solve many discipline problems that the NCAA has and would make players realize the consequences of doing wrong. Lastly, it would teach college athletes responsibility by allowing them to provide for their family. Many college athletes come from poor families and look at sports as a way to help them get out of poverty. This income that they received in college would allow them a little bit of money to buy the things they need while in college. Many of their families are unable to spend the required money for college expenses so this would allow the student to pay for their own needs. Then, if these athletes were able to make it on to the professional level, they would be able to give a portion of their major earnings to their families to help them get out of poverty. Also, some college athletes may already be looking to start a family of their own while in college or just as they are getting out of college. This salary that they earn while in college would give them the opportunity to invest in a house, car, or any other necessity needed to start a family. It is evident that players would gain a greater sense of responsibility if they earned money by being more financially stable, giving them costlier discipline actions, and allowing them to provide for their family.
In conclusion, college athletes need to reevaluate their athletic programs for several reasons. The obvious solution to many problems that occur within college athletics is the fact that athletes are not payed. College Athletes deserve to be paid for their performances, a salary would benefit college athletes for their future, and it would give athletes a better sense of responsibility if they were payed. These points should have shown that these benefits would not only benefit athletes but college athletics as a whole. Thus, furthering the future for college sports.