Karon Gibson English 12 Should College Athletes Be Paid to Play? College athletes should not be paid to play sports because most athletes are attending college on full or partial scholarship and receive financial aid packages. This money is basically paying the students to study. Student athletes do bring greater part of the money into the school but most of the money is spent on them to. Paying athletes to play would create a huge gap in college sports because of the ability to pay more at the bigger schools.
College athletes sacrifice so much for their respective schools and should be given more money and refine their scholarships to cover their expenses to prevent them from accepting illegal benefits, and give back to the athletes that bring so much revenue to their programs and schools. “NCAA athletes are held to what is, essentially, the strictest code of amateurism in sports. It's not just that the rules prevent them from driving a booster's Ferrari to Las Vegas for the weekend. The rules can make them think twice before bumming a ride to the mall.” (Cohen). There have been scandals in college sports (predominately football) involving players taking illegal benefits, such as meals paid for, having tattoos paid for, and having entertainment and nightclub cover charges taken care of.
Should College Athletes be paid for their performance? More and more college athletes are becoming household names without shoe deals, video game endorsements or a weekly paycheck. And more and more often, people are asking if colleges and universities should pay student athletes. The answer is no. But should companies like Nike have to give student athletes a piece of their jersey sales?
Making money during college should be the last thing on their mind. They should be focused on getting their education and pushing themselves to get better so they can play at the next level in the NFL. College football has to draw the line where it’s a privilege for a player to play at the school. Colleges also shouldn’t pay college football players because they already pay for everything such as tuition and housing. Some college football players have free rides; a free ride means that all four years of their education and housing are paid for.
The NCAA and its opponents for paying college athletes are of the opinion that paying student will bring in corruption, exploitation and disarray to collegian sports, while other are of the mindset that the price of a college education is enough. According to the College Board, average total costs for 2009-2010 were $35,636 at private universities and $15,213 for in-state students at state colleges (College Cost$ Gone Wild, 2010). While the NCAA and opponents for paying student-athletes is firm in their beliefs, they have little ethical or moral ground to stand. It is true that in today's economy, a college education is very expensive and unachievable for some, but when compared to the dollars the athletes generate annually there is no comparison. Speaking with the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Rhode Island, Earl N. Smith III, the questioned was posed, "should collegian athletes be paid for their services while representing their universities?"
Student Athlete Compensation It is a very controversial topic as to whether student athletes should or should not be paid to participate in college sports. There are multiple reasons that support both sides of this issue and the debate on the subject continues in various circles. Many individuals feel that the economic impact these athletes have on their schools is such that the athletes themselves should receive payment for the revenue they help to create (Henderson). Others feel that although they are generating income, they are compensated for their efforts in other ways (Gosselin). Still others state that only a small percentage of these colleges and universities make a profit from their athletic programs, most actually lose money (Bienen).
Running Head: Why Should College Athletes be Paid? 1 Why Should College Athletes be Paid? Jarod Sjogren Gwinnett Online Campus Authors Note Written for Honors American Literature, taught by Danielle King Why Should College Athletes be Paid? 2 Throughout the era of college sports there has been a large and continuous debate about why and whether or not college athletes should be paid for the services and income they provide their respective colleges. In most cases people agree that college students simply do not have the time to maintain a job while having to juggle college classes and sports practices.
Dear Honorable Titian: I understand the House of Representatives of the United States has just passed a bill which would do away with federal grants to college students. I am currently enrolled in college and depend greatly on the grants I receive. These grants allow great opportunity, for not just me, but for many other students as well. Taking them away would cause problems in several areas. The passage of the “Pick the Public’s Pocket No More” bill would lower college application rates, lower college graduation rates, and lower our country’s number of new college graduates for open positions in the work force.
“The three most lucrative college football teams in 2005 – Notre Dame, Ohio State, and the University of Texas – each generated more than $60 million for their institutions. That number, which comes from the Department of Education, fails to account for the millions of dollars alumni donated to their alma maters because they were so proud of their football teams” p.621. The NCAA plays a big factor in this whole situation because it makes sure that players get no pension what so ever. The NCAA says that there is no need to pay football players because they all have scholarships and their education is paid for and that is something that football players don’t take advantage of. Some argue and say that education is the most important thing in college but it’s not to the football players.
To Pay or Not to Pay To exploit means to make full use of and/or derive benefit from something or someone. In the case of student athletes, exploitation has become a major argument. In discussions of athletes and money, a controversial issue is whether or not student athletes should be paid. Many argue that being a college athlete is like having a full-time job, with players either at practice majority of the day, or in class the rest. In this case, they question why not give them some sort of payment to help aide the harsh student expenses they are forced to pay?