Analysis: Why College Athletes Should Be Paid

Collegiate sports have grown throughout the years, making the National Collegiate Athletic Association, better known as the NCAA, a multimillion dollar industry. Everyone within the industry gains their share of the revenue made, for example— the coaches and training staff— however, the college athletes, who are the main reason the NCAA makes all their revenue, do not gain anything. College athletes should receive pay for the money they bring in through their sport. Especially for sacrificing their time, education, and bodies for their school and the NCAA. Moreover, they should receive benefits that help them with their health, especially when an injury may occur. It may sound like a straightforward proposition, but it is much debated, especially

Athletes do not obtain skill from moderate training, but, instead, from their muscle-aching, sweat-drenching, rigorous workouts that take time and dedication. For college athletes the profound jump of skill level calls for the development of a greater intensity, dedication, and sacrifice which dictates the majority of their time. Notwithstanding, every student must attend class every day for a majority of their day. Which those college courses assign rigorous assignments with tests that demand for a lot of time. An article states, “On an average weekday, full-time university and college students spent 3.5 hours engaged in educational activities” (American Time Use Survey, 2016). The article highlights the hours an average college student spends on school related activities outside of class. It is inevitable a student will fail their courses without taking time out of their day to work on school related activities. Since college athletes are “student-athletes”, other than time dedicated to their practices and workouts, they must attend school, which takes over the other majority of their free time outside of practice. A non-student athlete holds more time, which is a vital element missing in a college athlete’s schedule, and they can comfortably work around their school related activities. However, for a

They argue, it will increase the risk of amateurism no longer existing in the NCAA. In other words, the dedication college athletes play with will no longer exist within them. Their drive will die down, no longer making those hungry-athletes strive for excellence. The fear is that if amateur athletes lose their passion for their sport, then it will no longer obtain the same intensity as before, making the NCAA lose viewership and consequently sponsorships. But, professional athletes earn millions of dollars from their contracts and deals with companies, and their intensity never plunges down. They strive to become unstoppable, aiming to become a legend in their sport. These athletes do not stop putting themselves in endorphin releasing, painful, brutal workouts because of the money, so why would college athletes who are aiming to go professional stop? Yes, it would be absurd for a student-athlete to receive those types of contracts. They should not pocket millions of dollars, however, enough for the money they work for. This holds the equivalency of a boss ordering their workers to perform at high level and the boss receives his workers’ checks. These “student-athletes” strive so hard, but do not attain anything. Additionally, they ask— where would the University's receive the money to pay these athletes? Also, if athletes begin to receive pay, others may receive less scholarships that can fund