Athletes And Amateurism

Compensating student-athletes has been a topic of discussion for many years. There are countless opinions about whether or not to pay student-athletes for play and the use of their likeness. The question of amateurism regulations related to Title XI and antitrust laws are at times disregarded due to the lack of familiarization and an understanding in relation to compensation.

The NCAA defines Amateur competition as a bedrock principle of college athletics and the NCAA. Maintaining amateurism is crucial to preserving an academic environment in which acquiring a quality education is the first priority. In the collegiate model of sports, the young men and women competing on the field or court are students first, athletes second ("Amateurism

Title IX was an education amendment signed in 1972 that prohibited sexual discrimination in education programs that receive Federal financial assistance (20 United States Code section 1681). In the case of the NCAA, the majority of its membership receives some type of Federal dollars, therefore requiring them to comply with Title IX regulations. Title IX states that schools receiving Federal aid must provide equal opportunities to all athletes and because of the limited number of revenue-generating sports, not every athlete would have access to the same opportunity. Prior to Title IX, there were virtually no college scholarships for female athletes, and those athletes received less than two percent of overall athletic budgets (Women’s Sports Foundation, 2008). Since the infusion of Title IX into universities, female athletes now receive athletic scholarships, and benefit from institutions increased budgets. Although there is still a disparity in men’s and women’s sports, Title IX potentially serves as the best protection against paying student-athletes. Paying student-athletes doesn’t take into account all sports, just the high profile men’s basketball and football programs. The core of Title IX prevents inequality, therefore preventing institutions from paying only those athletes who participate in profitable sports. You simply

More than 54,000 of the NCAA’s 460,000 student-athletes compete in 89 championships in 23 sports across three divisions (ncaa.org, n.d.). According to the official blog for GVSU Director of Athletics, Tim Selgo, the value of the education that student-athletes who are on a “full ride” is receiving is anywhere from $20,000 per year x 4 years = $80,000 at a public university to $50,000-60,000 per year x 4 years = $200,000 plus at a private institution (Selgo, 2014). This total does not include complimentary tickets, apparel, and equipment and, most importantly, the best academic support the university can offer. Some may argue that a student athlete’s connection with the university and the recognition they receive for playing sports - will aid them in the business world for the rest of their lives (Bordow,