Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay

Have you ever thought of being a pro athlete? High school and college athletes should not be able to receive payment from NIL deals. This is because of all the pressure it puts on the athletes, the athletes can get taken advantage of by their sponsors, and this could lead to the athlete missing out on opportunities in their lives. There are many pieces of evidence for these reasons that are problems and solutions.

The first reason high school athletes shouldn’t be allowed to benefit from NIL deals in high school and college is because of too much pressure. For evidence, the article “Could NIL dollars flow down to Michigan high school athletes?” by Hugh Bernreuter states “Adding the pressure of NL compensation isn’t fair to the student. They

For evidence, according to “Are Teens Too Young to Go Pro” by Mary Kate Frank, athletes that are paid have less time to explore other interests in their lives. The article states, “Devoting all your time to a sport means that there is little time to explore other interests…As adults, might players who went pro as teens regret missing out on those experiences?” (Frank “Are Teens Too Young to Go Pro”). The athletes did not have any time to explore other interests because of the immense amount of pressure put on them by these NIL deals. Also, according to the article “Paying college athletes - Top 3 Pros and Cons,” there is a much higher chance of an athlete getting a college degree versus playing their sport professionally. The article states, “Professional opportunities are extremely limited and the likelihood of a high school or even college athlete becoming a professional is very low…the likelihood of an NCAA athlete earning a college degree is significantly greater” (Paying college athletes - Top 3 Pros and Cons 3). This explains how athletes shouldn’t waste their time on NIL deals because it’s a very low chance of becoming professional, and they could be getting better opportunities in life rather than NIL

However, the money from the sponsors can financially benefit the students. One reason is the money helps to generate income for these athletes that may need it. “NIL contracts can provide athletes with the ability to generate income through endorsements and sponsorships” (Income tax considerations for student-athletes with NIL Contracts 1). “Earning a salary to play, like Bryson does, offsets these costs. That help talented players more easily afford to follow their passion” (Franks