Analysis: Why College Athletes Should Not Be Paid

College sports is one of the most profitable industries in the nation, and every year it continues to grow exponentially. In 2013, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) made nearly 913 million dollars. With increasing revenue from maximum television exposure, marketing, and publicity, college athletes turn into national celebrities. Some athletes are known worldwide, and eventually go on to become national superstars. However, during their time in college, they receive no money for their hard work and achievements. Athletes dedicate their whole lives to being a part of a college team, and much time is sacrificed in order to participate. Although some people claim that paying college athletes would detract from the academic environment

Everyone else takes a part of the profit including the coaches, sports broadcasters, and the NCAA. These people should not be receiving more than the ones who step onto the court, or field, and actually perform. According to USA Today, NCAA football coach Nick Saban, received an annual salary of just over 7 million dollars in 2015. This is an insane amount of money, for someone who is working with star athletes who make nothing. People who see these athletes on television are forced to assume that they live like celebrities, buying expensive clothes, cars, etc. However, in most cases, it is just the opposite of that. In fact, most of the college athletes you see on TV making big plays and attracting attention, are struggling to find food in their fridge. Take former star point guard Shabazz Napier for example. While at the University of Connecticut, he was the best college basketball player in the nation. While he was in college, he told a reporter that some nights, he went to bed starving, because he couldn’t afford food. This is coming from one of the best in the nation, who had led his team to the national championship, and in the process, made the NCAA (and all others apart of the organization) millions of dollars. The money that should have been paying for his dinner was instead distributed among the coaches and television broadcasters. Another prime example of college athletes being taken advantage of is the case of the Michigan Fab Five. The Fab Five was the nickname for Michigan basketball team’s freshman recruits of 1991, who are considered to to be one of the greatest classes ever recruited. The five stars led the team to the NCAA National championship two years in a row, and in the process, became major marketing targets. The moment these men stepped foot into Michigan’s program, they instantly became money makers. “The