Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay Example

In modern times, sports have become a worldwide entertainment sensation. Fans from across the world watch as their favorite teams compete against their rivals in countless intense sporting events. Even if one doesn’t watch sports, it is common to have stumbled upon at least one channel that featured the current American football game. Such athletes that regularly appear on national television can earn a fortune through sponsors. However, before they were earning such high wages, the athletes had all participated in college, where they remained unpaid for their hard work. Thus, a question arises: should college athletes receive pay for their efforts? Although they already receive thousands in scholarships, college athletes should undoubtedly earn revenue as schools unfairly profit from their athletes, the athletes are constantly risking their future careers, and the considerable time commitment of the sport takes away from the athlete’s ability to gain a high-paying job. 

Likely the most imperative reason that college athletes should receive pay is that colleges themselves already profit from their athletes, yet the athletes persistently receive nothing in return. For example, in 2019, Alabama State University’s football program earned an influx of $48.2 million after winning the National Championship. Despite this incredibly high income, the athletes themselves, wholly responsible for the win, did not earn a single cent (Reyes). Another instance, in 2017, the National College Athletic Association earned an enormous $1.06 billion in revenue from their college athletes. Yet again, the athletes themselves received nothing (ProCon.org). When asked about his opinion on the topic, Governor of California Gavin Newsom stated “Colleges reap billions from these student athletes’ sacrifices and success but, in the same breath, block them from earning a single dollar.” (ProCon.org). Michael Sokolove, author of The Last Temptation of Rick Pitino, further emphasized Newsom’s claims by stating “If you look at a program like Louisville, …they generate about $45 million a year in revenue. They give out 13 scholarships. That adds up to about $400,000 a year. The rest of it gets spread out to the coach, who makes $8 million a year, to the assistant coaches, who make as much as a half-million dollars a year. All throughout the athletic department, people are making six-figure salaries. It does not go to the players, what I call the unpaid workforce” (ProCon.org). In other words, by not earning pay for their achievements, athletes are constantly exploited by their colleges who continue to profit from them. 

The second archetype that illustrates that college athletes should be paid is the constant risk that they endure. Unlike other students, college athletes are regularly at risk for injury. For instance, according to Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, “Collegiate student-athletes put everything on the line — their physical health, future career prospects and years of their lives to compete” (ProCon.org). Researcher at the University of North Carolina’s Center for the Study of Retired Athletes Zachary Kerr agreed with Newsom by stating “I definitely think research indicates strong evidence that injuries during one’s sports career can potentially be associated with adverse health outcomes later in life” (ProCon.org). In other words, by playing sports in the strenuous environment of college, athletes are not only risking their health but also their future careers. There is always a possibility that any athlete will endure a life-altering injury. However, unlike their professional counterparts, college athletes do not earn millions for their work. Thus, college athletes especially must start receiving regular payments to compensate for the great risks that they take daily as they do not earn enough to pay for it themselves. 

Although some may argue that scholarships should be enough pay for athletes, they would be myopic in their thinking. Covering the cost of tuition may help tremendously, but athletes still need extra money to help with the expenses of necessities. Considering the amount of time that National College Athletic Association athletes spend on practicing, it becomes nearly impossible for most athletes to earn such money. To elaborate, college athletes practice on average forty to sixty hours per week perfecting their sport- which outweighs the hours of most full-time jobs (Johnson). Peter Sung Ohr, NLRB regional director, stated that “A typical training camp day entails mandatory meetings, film sessions and practices from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm” (Johnson). Adding study time onto their already busy schedule, there is absolutely no time left for a job in an athlete’s day-to-day life. Thus, it is foolish to believe that athletes should not earn money when they work longer hours than those who have full-time jobs. 

In the end, the National College Athletic Association must start providing regular payments to their athletes. College athletes, who devote the entirety of their days to practices, simply do not have the time to gain a sufficiently paying job. Yet, they still work just as hard (if not harder) than those who have full-time careers- furthering the notion that college-level athletes must be paid. In addition, they need to have enough money to spend on necessities. Scholarships, which are only guaranteed for a year, do not cover these basic costs. College athletes also must be able to afford more imperative things such as healthcare in the event of a life-threatening injury, which is very common for their arduous lifestyle. Finally, college athletes are continually exploited by their universities that earn upwards of 9 digits from their athletes. By receiving even an ounce of that pay, athletes will finally get the money that they rightfully earned themselves. By not paying college athletes, who are already in poverty, it is difficult to guarantee the future of sports.