Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay

College sports have become a big business in recent years, with universities and the NCAA earning billions of dollars in revenue from television deals, merchandise sales, and other sources. However, the athletes who generate this revenue are not compensated for their participation in sports. This has led to a growing debate about whether college athletes should be paid for their participation in sports. The exploitation of college athletes and the significant revenue they generate for universities and the NCAA without any direct compensation for their participation in sports necessitates the need for paying them. This would not only address their financial challenges and ensure a level playing field but also provide fair compensation for their

The revenue increased from approximately $4 billion in 2005 to over $18 billion in 2019. (NCAA)

In his article "Should College Athletes Be Paid?", Mark Nagel argues that paying college athletes would create an unfair playing field and disrupt the tradition of college athletics. Nagel suggests that "If compensation were allowed, only the star athletes and those who participated in the revenue-generating sports would be compensated,"(Nagel) while the majority of college athletes would not receive any compensation. This would create a gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" in college sports, "further separating the power conferences from the mid-major programs."(Nagel) The article also argues that paying college athletes would change the nature of college athletics, as it would shift the focus from education to athletics. "The fact is that college sports are a part of the educational experience and the focus on athletics should never be at the expense of education,"(Nagel) he says. Overall, Nagel suggests that paying college athletes would create more problems than it would solve, and that the current system of scholarships and educational opportunities is the best way to compensate college

According to Smith, "Paying college athletes would fundamentally change college sports and undermine the principles of amateurism and fair competition that they are built upon."(Smith) He argues that college athletes are already receiving valuable benefits and paying them would create an unfair advantage for certain programs and lead to a decline in the quality of college sports. "The NCAA is already facing issues with competitive balance between schools, and paying players would only exacerbate those issues,"(Smith) he adds. Additionally, the article points out that "paying college athletes would raise questions about how much they should be paid, and whether or not they should be taxed."(Smith) While there are valid concerns about the potential negative consequences of paying college athletes, "it is important to remember that the exploitation of college athletes is a complex issue that requires a thoughtful solution that addresses the root causes of the