Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay

Name, Image, and Likeness, or NIL, has recently come about in the college sports world, and some athletes have been “cashing in” (Carrasco). The idea of NIL gives college athletes of all levels a chance to make a profit; previously unheard of in collegiate athletics. The world of college athletics exists as a cycle that can trap athletes without a way to make money. Nonetheless, businesses and schools across the country have supported the newly implemented system in the hopes of supporting students in the future. Athletes of all sports draw millions of dollars to schools, but they get little compensation to show for it. Although athletes draw large attention to schools, the previous system scams athletes of their hard work, creating an even

Universities offer thousands of scholarships to athletes; however, outside of school, students struggle with finances. California State University News Program (The Orion) declared that “most college athletes do not have time for a part-time job because they are balancing practices” into their already busy school schedules (Sanchez). It’s difficult for students to create a stable financial platform with the inability to have a job, creating a financial burden from the start of their college experience. Knowing the struggle for money, the NCAA made the executive decision to make NIL a possible outlet for athletes. The implementation of NIL not only allows students to have the finances to support themselves, but they can also use the money to better set themselves up for their future careers. According to ESPN, writer Jay Bilas explained that NIL has “empowered female athletes and allowed some to earn money to start businesses and pay for graduate school.” Since the life of collegiate athletics lasts short term for most, the ability for students to generate revenue allows for a better start in the working field. Scholarships remain an enormous source of money for student-athletes, however, obtaining a scholarship does not happen for handfuls of incoming students. With these ideas in mind, NIL will allow students to continue

Maria Carrasco, a writer from Inside Higher ED, explained that “some institutions don’t have the resources to put [NIL] into effective practice.” The differing financial abilities of schools led many to conclude that NIL would remain a liability more than anything. The implementation of NIL could lead to the constant transfer of athletes to larger schools that would enhance their business potential. However, the NCAA and universities themselves created rules and regulations for NIL to ensure recruiting fairness. NCAA writer Michelle Hosick explained that colleges across the country “reinforce key principles of fairness” and have rules “prohibiting improper recruiting inducements.” NCAA recognized the importance of NIL fairness and introduced rules that made sure to enforce proper recruitment. These rules also allow individual schools to define their NIL guidelines to better introduce students to the world of moneymaking. With proper guidelines in place, each school from Division 1 to Division 3 would obtain the proper protocols to guide its students to create a proper business image for