Should College Athletes Be Paid Essay

737 Words3 Pages

Many athletes are able to make money for the university that they attend. Therefore, athletes of a university are comparable to employees of a company, the only difference being that athletes are not repaid for their contributions toward the school financial success. James Kachadoorian, professor at Georgetown and author of law reviews, states that an employee is someone who affects the financial status of an employer. This would mean that an athlete that makes money for the university would be considered an employee. The law also states that it is illegal to not pay an employee for the amount they have worked. Therefore, compensation should be required, by law, to an athlete. Without the money that players bring into the university, the colleges …show more content…

This would help even out the playing field and allow for better competition which many Americans would love. Along with that, the smaller colleges would be able to make more money and slowly progress towards becoming the next great university with outstanding facilities and equipment. Many college athletes want to see fans wearing merchandise and jerseys with their name on it. Although it feels good in the heart and mind of a player, there are millions of dollars that the university brings in from that and the player receives none of that. Business reporter Darren Rovell declares that in 2007, Michigan signed an 8 year deal with Adidas for $66.5 million to sell merchandise and jerseys (Rovell). This is an excessive amount of money for a university that could be spent on player compensation instead of other areas at the college. Athletes play an important role in the relevancy of a university in both the minds of fans and the pockets of university officials. Michelle Piasecki, specialized sport lawyer, reports that these players can also help the university receive a big television contract, which is one of the leading money making agreements for colleges