Pay for Play Unbelievable shots, excellent camaraderie, bursting team spirit, a love of the game, and the desire to see teams live out their dreams, these are just a few of the many reasons why this time of year is exciting for millions of people across the country. Hundreds of basketball games will be televised and watched by passionate fans cheering on their team. While many people view March Madness as a time to celebrate the best tournament in all of sports, the thrill of seeing David take on Goliath, others view March Madness as a cash cow. No matter what view one might have, college athletics is continually growing within the United States (Lombardo 1). The National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, has become a booming business over the past two decades pulling in billions of dollars each year. In fact, the NCAA makes six billion dollars every year from March Madness alone (“Should College” 2). Therefore, while some fans anxiously anticipate the tournament for the joy of the game, the rapid growth and interest in college sports and the revenue it generates has created a social dilemma being discussed throughout all media outlets. Should college athletes be paid for their contribution to this …show more content…
With this in mind, the thought of compensating all athletes would not be in the best interest of the universities. It would be difficult to establish fair compensation for all sports and to draw the line for which athletes should be paid. The University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team, the most successful women’s basketball program in NCAA history, lost over seven hundred thousand dollars in 2010 (Lewis 2). Just like with this university, for many universities, the profit made on football and men’s basketball are needed to help support and pay for all other