A three or four year starter can generate lots of money for their school, but not realize any of it until reaching the NFL. How dare you use student funds to fuel your Ginger-Gambling Habit. That is the (multi-)million dollar question for college athletics. Now theres billions. It is only fair to let those hardworking men and women get paid., The first time I learned of the debate over paying college athletes, I was utterly shocked. Offering them a work-study program or a stipend for playing can give them a reason to pursue their careers in athletics. Keith Savage, Contributing WriterDecember 16, 2020. Rick Pitino could finally come back to America. By offering paid athletics, colleges can entice students to stay and finish their degrees. These are kids that are pulled from their homes and yanked away from loved ones to cross the country to a situation where football comes first and school is an afterthought. Napier questioned the NCAA's decision to ban the Huskies for academic issues, as well as for making players go hungry by not allowing them to have any money to grab a bite to eat after hours or when dining options are scarce. The NFL pays its players based on their worth and their performance. Maybe more than that. But this is amateur basketball, and regardless how many billions of dollars are passed around between the NCAA, its broadcast partners, and various sponsoring corporations, the players themselves still make zero. These same students can't do what the players can do and can'tmake their university all the money that the players do. Per ticket. But, fundamentally its just one of these things that arent right. 4. 42. Financial compensation would enable these athletes to access better healthcare and medical facilities, promoting their overall well-being and reducing the financial burden that arises from medical expenses. Even if the NCAA or the universities paid the students a stipend and put it in a trust fund to be accessed upon graduation might make a small difference in teaching young people how to handle money. Should College Athletes Be Paid? | BestColleges ESPN's Jay Bilas explains in plain language why the NCAA needs to pay its workers, outlining how it would work and why it wouldn't affect the game. However, a lingering question still exists: What about Division III student-athletes? And they sell it, they sell it to television. Last year, NFL player Michael Bennett told ESPN: "Hell yeah college players should get paid. So, Ill take a two-year contracteven though it would probably be for less moneybut I want the opportunity to leave or renegotiate after two years. Its coaches and administrators make staggering amounts of money. 41. 43. "It would be really orderly and easy. But boy, they can put together a college football playoff in two seconds and make a billion dollars. Nobody would feel sorry for players who get greedy and end up breaking the rules. I want to be independently audited so if I play crappy and then all of a sudden my grades magically slip and I flunk out, then Im all of a sudden ineligibleI need independent verification for that. The University of Tennessee took $18 million out of its scholarship and fellowship funds and decided to invest it in the athletic department instead. $11 billion is more than the annual revenue of the entire NBA or the NHL. 10 Reasons Why You Should Date a Man with a Beard. For many players, playing college football comes with a cost that can have a big impact on their ability to make money in the NFL. They dont have the same amount of money.". COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Not only is the university allowed to capitalize on the celebrity of its players; but the players are contractually not allowed to do this themselves. This figure is not only more than any professional hockey team in the NHL earns but it is also more than 25 out of the 30 NBA teams bring in annually as well. 20. A.J. Charas career is coming to an end after playing over 20 seasons. Why College Athletes Should Be Paid. Top 10 Reasons College Football Players Should Get Paid - TheSportster Players who stay in college for four years might sacrifice a year or two of earning potential in the NFL in order to stay in school. Athletes getting paid would change the whole perspective on recruiting athletes. As recently as 2012, in 40 out of 50 states the highest publically paid employee was the head basketball or football coach of a state university. 30. Professionalizing talent development increases the quality of the sport. Of course, there are many colleges that use their athletes as core marketers of the university. 59. Some textbooks, school supplies and even clothes for going to football banquets more often than not have to come out of the players' pockets. The organization argues that student athletes are provided with full scholarships and a free education. "First of all, people will say, 'Whats next? Much of the huge revenues collected from college athletics do not go directly back into the classroom. Commentary: Division III athletes deserve compensation University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban today makes more than $7 million per year. Most of the young people at major universities in the United States come from families that have incomes that are well above the national average. Successful sports programs boost the schools reputation and bring in more applications. Should College Athletes Be Paid? Yes and No - The New York Times Because otherwise the coaches shouldnt be making moneybecause they dont make any profit. Essay Why College Athletes Should Not Be Paid | ipl.org Paying student athletes will raise the level of performance. Top 10 Reasons College Athletes Should Be Paid. Why College Student Athletes Should Not Get Paid 1. If mens lacrosse players were leaving early, do think anybody would care? If a running back wins a Heisman Trophy and only has a four or five year career in the NFL, his best years might have been at the college level. While some Division I student-athletes may go to college to prepare themselves for a professional athletic career, the priority for most student-athletes is still their educations. And if they do a really good job, maybe when they're older and they become an adult they can get paid then.' Would cause low income organizations to go out of business and get shut down. #9. Cant play the pros, cant play in college. Syracuse makes an average of $29,322,084 from college basketball. Now, collegiate sports teams are fighting back against the NCAA standards. A good portion of these players are trying to adjust in the classroom as well and feel inferior in more ways than we care to realize. How many other businesses make millions of dollars and don't pay their employees? Success in college sports is also believed to improve the application rates and caliber of admitted students at certain universities. Yet, despite all of this cash floating around, the players who make the organization work do not see any of this money. Are we still naive enough to think that most college football players are just in it for the degree? 1. I have watched athletes such as Will Gladney, Cassidy OMalley, Allie Panara and many others grace Ithaca Colleges various athletic venues and help their school win big games. Now, for those young and hungry college students who give everything they have one the field already, why wouldnt you think it boost their work ethic even more? Nobody ever said, 'If we start paying these coaches hundreds of millions of dollars the game is going to crumble.' They are called student-athletes for a reason. If the average NCAA college football player in Division One spends over 40 hours a week on their game, then they are working the same amount as those in full-time employment do. Your email address will not be published. WWE Has Multiple Endings Planned for Roman Reigns vs. 8. The Interests of College Athletics Are there benefits from not paying college athletes? But, over a century later, the NCAA is no longer recognizable compared to what the organization used to be. But others believe that college athletes shouldn't get paid. 14 Should College Athletes Be Paid Pros and Cons - Vittana.org They believe that college athletes should get paid because they play that full-time as a sport, that is their main focus. This means that at the end of four long years, all these athletes have is a degree. Colleges shouldnt be a free minor league for pro sports. The year that Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy as the nations outstanding college football player, Boston Colleges undergraduate admissions increased by 25 points and its average SAT score of admitted freshmenskyrocketed by 110 points. To pay or not to pay? They didnt care when Tiger Woods left early, when John McEnroe left Stanford early. I write about legal issues in sports, fantasy sports and online gaming, required Florida State football players to miss the first day of spring classes, the road to the NCAA men's basketball championship may require student-athletes to miss up to a quarter of all class days during their Spring semester, currently produces nearly $11 Billion in annual revenue from college sports, in the hands of a select few administrators, athletic directors, and coaches, in the early days of college sports paying coaches was as frowned upon as paying student-athletes. Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals is a future NFL Hall of Famer, but still got his college degree late amid his career. Reggie Bush wouldnt have had to forfeit his Heisman. And yet, despite all of the hard work that these student-athletes have put in, they still cannot receive any athletic scholarships. When the NCAA was founded by President Roosevelt in 1905, the institution was committed to the idea of not providing a salary or stipend to the student-athletes who took part in its organization. Sometimes, money is actually taken from the school to fund sports. Football is more of a job than a fun activitythat satisfies physical education. A decision is expected in June 2021. Columnist Andrew Kristy provides his opinion concerning the first NCAA player union. Players who stay in college for four years might sacrifice a year or two of earning potential in the NFL in order to stay in school long enough to earn a degree. Other sports will not be canceled because some players are being paid. 1. The head football coach at Texas made slightly less; he brought in only $5.4 million. That doesn't seem like school and certainly satisfies more than just a couple of units for P.E. What the NCAA says when they enforce policies that leave their players floundering both physical and financially is that each player is just a body that is replaceable. It's a controversial issue with a long history of inspiring passionate discourse and even some lawsuits. Being that they work for educational institutions and often have several assistants and advisors who help to share the work load, this is a huge amount of money compared to teachers and professors who are inundated with facilitating the academic success of tens of thousands of students. College athletics are big bucks. The debate over whether to pay student-athletes is no longer a debate: College athletes should be paid. This year, the University of Alabamareported $143.3 Million in athletic revenues -- morethan all 30 NHL teams and 25 of the 30 NBA teams. Every athlete needs a backup plan because you never know what could happen. 1 pick in the NFL Draft today but has to play for free for two more years at Clemson and risk career-threatening injury. Feb. 26, 2019 Have you heard of Zion Williamson? This is a multi-billion dollar business. 1. This is a commercial enterprise.'. Chuck Liddy | Tribune News Service | Getty Images The student-focused analytics company asked students about several potential models of compensation for college athletes.