Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay

Mary Polozzo

Professor Margaret Bruemmer

English 151

30 April 2023

Compensation for College Athletes

Recently, more than ever before compensation for college athletes has been a highly debated topic. Many believe it is unnecessary for athletes playing for a school to be compensated, others argue that colleges should pay their athletes. This paper intends to argue the latter, athletes deserve to be paid for their work. Without a personal connection to college-level sports, it is unlikely that someone would be very knowledgeable on the topic of compensation for college athletes what they should know is that it is important that student-athletes are paid for their work; athletes have expenses they need to pay for and without compensation from

It is something that the public forgets often. They play their sport in packed stadiums of adoring fans, their games are broadcast live on television. But they are still students. And college students have expenses that need to be paid somehow. New York Times article Supreme Court Backs Payments to Student-Athletes in NCAA Case states “Throughout its 115-year history, the NCAA has largely defended the notion that students should play sports in exchange for no more than a scholarship, books, room and board and, more recently, the estimated cost of attending college, a figure that can include travel and other living expenses.”(Liptak, Blinder 1). The NCAA covers living expenses, right? But what about food, going off campus for dinner with a friend, flying home over the holidays to visit family? College students have other expenses outside of that of general living expenses, expenses that the NCAA does not cover. But a college athlete has no way of earning the money to pay for these expenses outside of their team. A college athlete holds a full class roster as a student which in itself could make it difficult to hold a job. Add on top of that full class schedule the required practice time for the team as well as games and that makes it near impossible for a college athlete to hold a job. This means that in order for college athletes to be able to live a “normal college life”, they have to pull money from an outside source like their

It might sound hypocritical, that taking money to give to athletes would somehow make college more money but with one key factor that can be true. Motivation is a major part of sports and as Britannica Academic states, “When inspired by a combination of economic and representational motives, elite athletes can reach almost unimaginable levels of athletic performance”(“Sports” 1). If athletes are performing at higher levels, they are going to gain larger fanbases who want to attend the games and support their favorite athletes. This means that the support for the colleges the athletes represent will grow as well. And the growing support can bring in more money for the college. This can also help the college in the area of future students. Prospective students may be encouraged to choose a specific college based on its growing popularity in sports or if they are an athlete the payment they might earn by playing for the school. Paying student-athletes can be beneficial for both the athletes and the colleges they