Persuasive Speech: Why Student Athletes Should Not Be Paid

Jordan Roy
Oral Com
Persuasive Speech

Over decades, Division I athletes have been pouring their heart and soul into their sport they worked so hard for day after day, week after week. For years, athletes’ love of the game has got them to a university where they can showcase their ability and talent. When you are at the Division I level it is more or less a business, and your job is to bring in a profit for the university. A true athlete plays the game out of passion. In recent years, there has been a controversial question that lingers in every athlete’s mind: should students who play a sport get the extra benefit of being paid because they’re a college athlete? The answer is no. Student athletes should not get paid because they receive
“About two percent of high school athletes are awarded athletic scholarships to compete in college” (NCAA, 2011). It is a privilege to get the opportunity to play at the collegiate level, let alone be awarded an athletic scholarship. This opportunity should not be taken for granted. To play at the collegiate level is something all athletes dream of and for most, it is the highest level of competition. After doing some research, I noticed that when asked if student athletes should be paid, the results were split between yes, not sure, and no. Student-athletes being paid would only create more of a problem for other athletes, students, and universities. Student-athletes are already being paid from the scholarship and other benefits from the university. The scholarship includes tuition, books, food, and housing. An article published online at ncaa.org states that scholarships on average are over $100,000 a year (The Sport Digest, 2002-2010). On top of a scholarship, student athletes are given other benefits such as free tutors, scheduling benefits, trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, free facilities, clothes, and equipment. At some universities all the extra benefits that athletes receive can total $200,000 over all four years (The Sport Digest, 2002-2010). If the athletic scholarship and all the benefits were to be added together, student athletes are making over $150,000 a
It’s the students’ name the universities are selling and making profits from. However, fans are just trying to show support and the scholarships are beneficial enough that a student doesn’t need to be paid. As soon as athletes start being paid, the universities will become popular to athletes because of how much they are paying the athlete instead of who can offer the best education. Athletic departments will start talking to athletes about business deals and negotiating money. A negotiation between a potential college athlete and coach could be the coach offering the athlete a full ride plus an extra $3,000 a