A Need Not a Want: The Case for College Athletes to be Paid (Essay Example)

"Never take a person's dignity: It is worth everything to them and nothing to you"- Frank Barron, these words should be applied to the situation with the college athletes but apparently their too unimportant to be ever considered for a higher pay check or professionalism. The treatment that College Athletes receive isn't that bad though according to the press they say the School Complimentary iPads, shirts, and waterbottles they receive easily puts them into comfortable living but the harsh truth is that merchandise doesn't pay the bills for the financially vulnerable athletes that are often not taken seriously enough by brands and their schools at moments. Although, College Athletes are seen as amateurs, They still should get paid as their schedules and training are the same if not more rigorous as their pro counter-parts, they need the money more, and they often rake in tons of money for their schools.

First, College Athletes' schedules have the same amount of rigor as their pro counterparts. Their rates of injury are both about the same, with college athletes around 27% and professional athletes around 20%. Many would ask though how does injuries come from those things well it is well known among scientists that the muscles and skeletal systems weaken after prolonged sessions of training, this all translates to money in the end since if college athletes have the same issues and setbacks/schedules as pro athletes when they are making millions, it provides no reason to pay college athletes a measly 10,00 dollars.

Furthermore, College Athletes need the money more. They need the money more since they have a high food stipend on their meals ,this material limits them to two meals a day or something close to that, which is completely unreasonable as most of their time is eaten up by exercise and meetings that they need extra food for to fuel them through the day. These facts make the athlete pay out of pocket many times a week for food and drinks all the time, IF their money balance isn't drained enough already by the effort it takes to maintain your body when the college facilities are closed or renovated. This has hit them even harder since the pandemic started, with college athletes having to pay out of pocket more than ever before for the needs of their body and the even higher rise of sold goods.

Moreover, College Athletes rake in TONS of money for their schools. Most schools actually rely on sports way more than you think with 50 percent of all their earnings coming from sports according to usatoday.com. If  50 percent doesn't seem like a lot to you let me put this into into perspective only 25 percent is actually made from the students or donations from them which puts this popular idea to rest. The inevitable fact is that colleges cannot survive without their sports programs so why do college athletes get paid next to nothing when their programs need them. To make it fair the programs could at least boost their player's salary by 20 percent to make up for the endless belittling and denial about the athlete's worth they have been harboring toward them.

Finally, There is no excuse now for the colleges and brands that are constantly ignoring the college athletes' needs like a higher paycheck and better handling of them, and the college athletes have the reasons to back it up since their schedules have the same amount of rigor if not more rigor as their pro counterparts who are making millions, they need the money a lot, and they rake in tons of money for the schools that are treating them like this. It is fate that they will eventually get what they want and need because a man's dignity can not be compromised.