College Athletes Should Not Be Paid

Today’s people strive to join the ranks of the greatest who ever played a sport, and college is the beginning of that dream. Kids dream of making a huge living in sports in the college and professional level and it’s growing rapidly growing. At this level athletes put a lot of their time to spend hours every day practicing. Right now, a college athlete cannot be given money for their effort or marketed in a way that could profit the school or themselves. A growing debate centers on whether these athletes should be able to make money for all their hard work.
Every year, the NCAA and other universities earn millions of dollars from their athletes that everyone loves to watch. For example, the University of Southern California (USC) made a few
million from their some of their best players such as Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Should these athletes be paid since the money was made because of them? Is an athlete’s decision to attend reason enough to deny them repayment?
In college, getting an education is the most important purpose. When a very talented athlete attends a college, it is often their goal to showcase their talents and try to take the easier classes. Is it the same to be able to receive money for creating a profitable talent for a school’s athletics division? Some say that paying college athletes will make professional sports out of date because more athletes, who can’t make it in the pros, but have the talent to star in college, will find a way to go to school.
“Athletes form the basic unit of intercollegiate sports.” Even though the NCAA tournaments are successful, athletes do not receive any financial payment. The main reasons fronted by the NCAA for not paying their athletes are that the NCAA wants to maintain its amateur status and that if they would pay their athletes it would get rid of the love and compassion of the sport. The NCAA has increased its profits through selling their merchandise, television rights and video games. Athletes play a huge role in the promotion of merchandise, television rights and video games, but do not get any benefits from the profits that are made. This can be viewed as oppression and is unethical for the athlete not to be paid. “Other students on college scholarships are paid when they offer their services to their school and the same should apply for athletes.” Athletes offer more to their colleges to the extent that some colleges rely on the money that is generated by the athletes, sports have become the foundation for some universities. Universities like Alabama and Indiana are valued more due to their skill in football and basketball subsequently instead of their academic excellence.
Over the past few decades, college athletics have been gaining immense popularity across the United States and across the world.
Whether its football, basketball, or hockey, college sports have brought in a ton of money to their own Universities, and they have been increasing the status of the College’s reputations. For example, “in a study conducted by the Orland Sentientnel, it was estimated that the University of Texas’ Athletic Program had the highest revenue of any other University at $120,288,370” (How Much Revenue). Somehow with all this money, no college athletes can legally be paid for their work. According to NCAA rules, “You are not eligible for participation in a sport if you have ever: Taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in that sport” (NCAA Regulations 1). Because of this law, college athletes are struggling with trying to pay off their college tuitions, but also some athletes are being paid under the table through black markets. Most of these athletes have no motivation to stay in college and finish their degrees, due to many cannot afford to pay for the expensive college experience. Many people argue that college athletes shouldn’t be paid because their just “amateurs” representing the school they go to, I argue that athletes should be paid because they put all their time and effort into their sport they don’t have a lot of time to go out and work a job while they are playing their
sport.
Student athletes should be paid for their hard work, as they are the only reason for Athletic Program’s making money.
These athletes are putting in their time and sweat bringing in money to their University every day, but they aren’t paid for their time that they worked. These athletes are working at the top of their game for their schools and are doing services to the college that seem to be overlooked. A fair day of work, a fair day pay, this lack of pay isn’t seen anywhere else in the work place and shouldn’t be seen here. Some even say, “College athletes are being exploited by their schools, which make millions of dollars off of intercollegiate athletics” (Should Student-Athletes Get Paid?). Colleges are using these athletes to increase their reputations and bring in lots of money, while not paying their athletes for their work. Everywhere else athletes are paid, so why college athletes shouldn’t be paid too? Some critics may argue that these “student-athletes are amateurs, and if paid then become professional athletes.” This statement is invalid; however, as “amateur” is a very broad and debatable term. Hockey players apart of the AHL (Amateur Hockey League) are considered to be amateurs but are paid for their
work.
Saying that College athletes are amateurs creates another problem. Athletes are not allowed to promote themselves. The NCAA states “student-athletes shall be amateurs…and should be protected from exploitation by professional and commercial enterprises” (Should Student-Athletes Get Paid?). Even though, that this statement seems that colleges and universities “are the entity that exploits” them (Should Student-Athletes Get Paid?). In 2001, because of the increasing cost of education, the NCAA “approved student-athletes’ employment in jobs paying up to $2,000 during a school year; the income can address educational expenses” (Should Students Athletes Paid?). All though, not only does $2,000 barley covers educational costs, especially if not on scholarship, but the NCAA is not letting the student athletes promote themselves. With all the time practicing and doing homework, how many athletes have time to actually get a job? In reality, the student athletes are working by performing on the court, field, track, pool or rink.
Another thing that supports paying college athletes is that these “full-ride” scholarships given to the best athletes do not actually cover all their expenses. Many athletes can’t afford to pay for their own appliances and can’t afford to have their parents come to the stadium and watch the games. For example, in 2010, “Duke Basketball players were valued at $1,025,656 while [the players were] living just $732 above the poverty line and a scholarship shortfall of $1,995” (“The Price of Poverty in Big Time College Sports”). With all of the regard and exposure of these athletes, it goes unknown that great deals of these players live near to the point of poverty. Because of this lack of money, black-markets were formed.
There have been many examples of corruption before, but a serious example of that was Reggie Bush, the running back for the University of Southern California from 2003-2005. “Bush was paid by boosters (The black market) to attend USC, which violated NCAA rules. Bush was heavily criticized when the violations were revealed and had to return his Heisman trophy. While Bush’ actions were clearly wrong and him returning the Heisman trophy was warranted, it’s tough to give him much criticism. At the time, Bush didn’t come from much wealth and even with a “full-ride” football scholarship; he could not cover all of his expenses. Bush’s mother was having trouble paying rent, so a booster at USC offered to pay for his mother’s apartment in Pasadena. Bush felt obligated to take this offer, as there was no other way to make money and pay for his mother’s apartment.” These universities that violate NCAA rules have an edge in recruiting top athletes. Schools are then tempted to violate such rules to even out the playing field. These boosters’ actions are illegal, but can create a disparity in competition amongst the NCAA.