Reasons as to why College Athletes Should be Paid Essay Example

Serious injuries may not only end their careers and scholarships as players but also endanger their physical health forever; hence compensation for such a sacrifice should be paid.

Apart from the injuries, sport is a very physically demanding job and requires constant exercise so as to keep the body in the best shape. The demands of keeping the body fit are very extensive and require a lot of commitment with very minimal time to study for other units in the course of a semester. Putting their bodies in danger every day should be rewarded with payment for the hustle. It is also fair to say that most athletes cannot qualify for the universities that they play for as the physical work they do makes the brain tired. With the tired brain, there is not much studying that can be done. As a result, they end up depending on their friends during SATs and other tests. It is only right that they get paid for the pain their bodies and brains have to endure. The only consolation college athletes have right now is that the National Collegiate Athletic Association covers their medical expenses through their medical student covers. (Chelsea L. Dixon, 2015).

The devastating challenge that comes after being hurt is that players may end up losing their scholarship, and that is the more reason they should be paid. An example of such a scenario is Kyle Hardrick, who lost his basketball scholarship shortly after tearing his meniscus at Oklahoma. Jason Whitehead also nearly lost his Ohio University football scholarship after his neck was injured. From these circumstances of unpredictability, it is only fair that college player is

paid so as to be prepared for such scenarios. The NCAA rules state that a player can lose their scholarship after an injury and be responsible for any health concerns afterward. The NCAA in conjunction with Huma has a program in that when an athlete’s expenses exceed $90,000 they can no longer pay for it. With middle wage salaries, players can be able to take care of themselves after such injuries that will require more than medical insurance support. (Strauss, 2014).

The second reason as to why athletes should be paid is that they bring a lot of money with through their skills in the field. For instance in 2014, the ten best schools that were on the top of the list for making NCAA a lot of money averaged to $144.8 million regarding revenue, which was $132.5 million more than the same schools had spent on scholarships. The initial amount that had been expended on scholarship was $12.4 million and when you calculate the difference there is a lot of money that is not going to the scholarships but rather to the pockets of people who do not endanger their health in any way to achieve a win. (Gaines, 2015).

As each day goes on, there has been a huge gap regarding what the athletes are getting as scholarship and the amount of money they are generating. Making money is a motivating factor for the schools to encourage the athletes to work more and perform better, but not share a little bit of that money with the people who had to sweat for it? The charts for performance in the sports field are going up and

I believe so should be the pockets of the athletes who dedicate their time and effort to make this happen.

Another reason why athletes deserve to be paid is that they devote much of their time to sports they excel in that they have less time to study. NCAA may argue that college athletes are not employees according to the federal law, but the truth is that these same college athletes spend their time practicing and perfecting their skills while they are not paid as they should be. An example of this scenario is that a typical Divison I college football player spends at least 43.3 hours every week doing sports-related activities, which coincidentally is 3.3 hours more than the typical American work week.

From that perspective, it means the college athlete is working more hours and therefore should be compensated for his or her work. As if that is not enough, NCAA requires that these same students whom they do not consider to be employees, to abandon classes and participate in nationally televised games which bring in revenue to NCAA. The income comes in millions of dollars which should be shared not only with the coaches but also with the players who are a big part of the game.  Dedication of a college student’s time to generate revenue to the institution or NCAA is a big sacrifice and should be met with equal reward. (Edelman, 2014).

When one becomes an athlete, their life is not their own anymore. They are required to eat a certain way, behave a certain way and more importantly mind what comes out of their mouths. A college athlete’s life becomes controlled. In

some colleges, coaches regulated athletes’ speech on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. (Edelman, 2014). This is to avoid bad press and attract more donations from the alumni. NCAA also goes an extra mile to control cost through the limitation of remuneration received by an intercollegiate athlete. College athletes get a scholarship with the restricted room, tuition, board, books, and fees.

The existence of a minimum age requirement on the National Football League restricts any offers of employment that may be available to these athletes. This restriction prevents the athletes from getting better opportunities to grow and get paid. It is only fair that is these amateur players are kept within an institution then they should be able to get the privileges they deserve. The limits in compensation hinder the college athletes from supporting their families as most of the basketball players do come from backgrounds with low-income to rely on. (Tribune, 2016)

Paying college athletes will also enable them to be prepared and start creating a dynamic plan on financial management and awareness at an early age. Looking at our most famous players around the world, ESPN’s documentary brought to light how most athletes go broke just a few years after being off the field. 60% of NBA players go broke after retiring because they did not plan and were not given a chance to think about their future after retiring. Most of them found money after they turned 18 and it became easy to squander the money without thinking about tomorrow.

Paying college athletes at a young age will help them start planning early and make mistakes as they learn along the way. They will

not have to blame it on poor investment, unethical financial advisors or expenditure on lavish habits. Starting to pay athletes at a young age will also provide them with financial literacy and introduce them to investors who will assure them that their money is an investment to count on. Despite any future decisions after the investment, the athlete is assured of a better financial future.

College athletes create the name recognition and as a result, should be paid more for playing this part. Whenever a university has a famous player, the chance of more students applying to that college is high in comparison to a college without an outstanding player. Success in colleges’ sports is a motivator for more applicants to the college. For instance, when Boston College’s quarterback Doug Flutie won the Heisman Trophy, the college’s admissions for undergraduate increased by 25 points and its SAT score of the lucky freshmen improved to 110 points that year. That shows how big of a role one athlete’s success in the field improved the college’s overall performance.

Another scenario is for Patrick Ewing, who was a basketball player and did well in 1982-83 NCAA season. His performance increases undergraduate applications by 47% at Georgetown University. From the two examples, it is evident that athletes are core marketers of the university and should be paid. If a school’s sports team performs well, then they do not need to spend money marketing their brand but rather count on their players’ success. Football players, basketball players among other athletes, are key players in the marketing team of an institution and should be compensated for that. (Edelman, 2014).

Paying a college athlete will

be more than taking care of his or her personal needs but those of the family around them. Full scholarships are functional and realistic to students who come from background able to afford extra money for pocket money. Most of the scholarships offered do not have extra money for buying extra food outside the scholarship budget which leaves the rest of the students from the poor background with a difficult challenge. Taking into considerations the extra time they put into practice players should not have to put extra money so that they have a meal. Players should be able to use the extra cash from the field to help their parents and siblings. (Keolanui, 2014).

Paying college athlete will also reduce any suspensions that end up hurting the team. Currently, when a player makes a mistake, it affects the whole team and sometimes the entire program, but with payment of the line, players will be able to have direct consequences for any mistakes in judgment. This will not only reduce suspensions in the team but also improve their character as players and teach them that irresponsibility is unacceptable in the field as well as life in general. Bending the rules because it will hurt the game encourages the players to be more careless as they are not held responsible for any mess-ups. It will also be a lesson that being a player does not make them above the law and breaking and rules or regulations can lead to severe consequences. Direct fines in college will help them not to make the same mistake in the future as the fine will be more and devastating. So let’s

pay our athletes and make them responsible for their actions. (Keolanui, 2014).

Paying college athletes will also help them adjust to college life socially and economically. Most colleges have players who come from inner city regions with humble backgrounds and being in college is a new experience to them. Many of these players feel inferior and being in a sports team helps they feel like they are a part of something that helps build their confidence. Fame and money can also supplement in helping these students to avoid economical social disparity in college. Paying these college students will contribute to them having jobs and adjusting to the new environment while leveling the field for all players. (Keolanui, 2014).

When a player is paid, it is more likely that he or she will want to remain in school longer because of economic factors. Many players decide to quit college as they are not paid enough, and they have better opportunities of payment elsewhere. Paying these players will increase the chances of them staying in school rather than dropping out to make more money. Payment to college athletes can make life bearable in school despite their background and want to further their experience in sports and class work. If it was possible to make payment to these players, then they could be able to afford a middle-class wage to send home to their parents and keep them comfortable. As they send this money home, their parents will feel obligated to encourages their children to stay in school long enough to get a better degree score that will enable them to get a better job. (Peebles, 2015).

In conclusion, college athletes

should be compensated for the amount of time and effort they put into their sport. Athletes not only require to be physically fit but also be ready to face the complications that come after they are injured. They also generate a lot of income to NCAA and deserve to earn part of the revenue they are generating. Similarly, they also act as marketers of the institution they play for since a win for one player is a success to attract more undergraduate applicants. They should also be paid so as to introduce them to early financial literacy and future management of their finances. Paying them is a way of teaching them future responsibilities and how they can handle them. They also dedicate their time and miss out on having a social life, studying like the rest of the students so as to generate more revenue. Since they are part of the team that contributes to revenue generation they deserve a better piece of the pie.

References

1. Chelsea L. Dixon, M. (2015). When Student-Athletes Get Injured, Who Pays?. Noodle. Retrieved 26 April 2016, from https://www.noodle.com/articles/when-student-athletes-get-injured-who-pays134
2. Edelman, M. (2014). Forbes Welcome. Forbes.com. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/marcedelman/2014/01/30/21-reasons-why-student-athletes-are-employees-and-should-be-allowed-to-unionize/#749ae0f2991c
3. Gaines, C. (2015). Chart shows the simple reason why college athletes should be paid. Business Insider. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/pay-college-athletes-2015-10
4. Hartnett, T. (2013). Why College Athletes Should be Paid. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tyson-hartnett/college-athletes-should-be-paid_b_4133847.html
5. Keolanui, C. (2014). Top 10 Reasons College Football Players Should Get Paid. TheSportster. Retrieved 25 April 2016, from http://www.thesportster.com/football/top-10-reasons-college-football-players-should-get-paid/?view=all
6. Peebles, M. (2015). 7 Common Sense Reasons Why College Athletes Should Be Paid (According to Jay Bilas). Complex. Retrieved 26 April 2016, from http://www.complex.com/sports/2015/12/jay-bilas-interview/
7. Strauss, B. (2014). A Fight to Keep College Athletes From
   

the Pain of Injury Costs. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 26 April 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/sports/a-fight-to-keep-college-athletes-from-the-pain-of-injury-costs.html