Should college athletes be paid? This question has been the subject of debate for many years. There are pros and cons to both sides of the issue, but college athletes deserve to be paid for several reasons. One reason is that college athletes are not allowed to work and earn money when they are playing a sport. Another is that college athletes can contribute to a winning team that attracts fans and raises ticket sales and can bring in money through sponsorships and merchandising. Paying college athletes will also prevent them from accepting bribes, such as money, cars and clothes. Another consideration is how are athletes going to afford all the necessary expenses for college, especially if they come from poor families. Some people say that athletes are being paid with an education, but what if an athlete has an injury that requires surgery? Athletes and their families will need money to pay medical bills, which will be expensive. Surgery is not cheap and they may not be able to pay the medical bill. Lastly, paying athletes may help them stay in school longer rather than turning professional where they could stand to make a lot of money. ("Should College Athletes Be Paid?" New York Public Library. 2003. 21 Dec. 2009 .) College athletes should be paid because they are not allowed to work and earn money. ("Slaves of Big Time College Sports." USA Today. 2000. Eitzen, D Stanley. 21 Dec. 2009 .) Without that money, many athletes may not be able to afford college or the associated expenses, such as food or rent if they live off campus. This defeats a key goal of college, which is to make students self-sufficient and be able to take care of themselves without their parents or guardians. Another reason that college athletes should be paid is that they attract fans and sponsors but receive none of the profit. It has been estimated that a Division One school can earn as much as $750 million from ticket sales and
Bibliography: Brown, Jeremy “Should Student Athletes Like Tim Tebow Get Paid For Endorsements?” The Bleacher Report. 16 November 2009. Croton Harmon High School Library, Croton on Hudson, NY. 10 March 2010. http://www.thebleacherreport.com Eitzen, D Stanley “Slaves of Big Time College Sports” USA Today. September 26 2000. Sirs. Croton Harmon High School Library, Croton on Hudson, NY. 21 December 2009. http://sks.sirs.com M, Martin “Should Student Athletes Be Paid?” The Sports Digest. 21 April 2008. Croton Harmon High School Library, Croton on Hudson, NY. 9 March 2010. http://:www.thesportsdigest.com Shenk, David “Should College Athletes Be Paid?” New York Public Library. 27 July 2003. Croton Harmon High School Library, Croton on Hudson, NY. 21 December 2009. http://nypl.org “Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Issues and Controversies. 4 June 1999. Facts on File. Croton Harmon High School Library, Croton on Hudson, NY. 18 December 2009. http://www.2facts.com