College Athletes Should Get Paid Essay

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I’ve never had a strong opinion on whether college athletes should be able to get paid or not. Both sides have persuaded me, but I never really dug deep into this topic. Now that I have searched a lot deeper and developed my own opinion, I believe that college athletes should be able to be paid. College athletes, specifically division one players, have a very high value in terms of "cash." These athletes are worth so much more money than a full-ride scholarship. There is also proof that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) treats their athletes poorly because universities do not provide healthcare, and they do not allow their athletes to benefit on the biggest games of their careers. These athletes deserve to get paid because …show more content…

Most Universities do not provide healthcare. Meghan Walsh, a sports writer for The Atlantic, said, "After an incoming student signs a letter of intent binding him or her to a university, many schools have no contractual obligation to treat injuries or stains that result from playing for that college" (Walsh, 2013). This is very unfair to athletes at prominent universities because if they get a season-ending injury, the university doesn't have to help provide them healthcare. It can result in many more problems down the road for the athlete. Colleges can also revoke scholarships even if they don't provide healthcare. An athlete can get a horrible injury, and the university can withdraw the athlete's scholarship even though that school doesn't offer healthcare. It is unfair to the athlete, and they are being treated poorly because their university won't cover their …show more content…

The NCPA Executive Director Ramogi Huma said, "The NCAA is announcing that college athletes can't benefit from their name on the same day of the biggest money-making game in college football – the national championship. It's a slap in the face to college athletes" (Huma, 2021). These big games can either make or break a player's career. If that player's career is over because of a loss in their national championship game, they should at least be able to have something to fall back on. These players all have a goal to make it to a professional level. If colleges could allow their athletes to make money off these games and have something to fall back on if they lose, I think it would increase the number of athletes coming to play college sports. It is unfair treatment, and there needs to be a change.
Some may argue that universities cover the cost of attendance stipends. Although that is true, they are not required. Even if they can give that, attendance stipends cost around $2,000 to $ 4,000 a year. Returning to division one, athletes' "cash value" of $4,000 isn't as much money as these athletes are worth. Although it is helpful, these athletes need a higher reward for taking high