Current Issues of 2017

     Being a college student and athlete, I always hear the constant discussion on whether college athletes should be paid for playing their sport or not. Some of the reasons people feel that that they should be paid is that they help bring the school money and that they have to give their time and energy to what they do. Some people do not look at them as an average student. I disagree with this opinion. As a college athlete I do not feel entitled to being paid for playing football. College athletes are not professionals and therefore they should not be treated as such. We do bring income to the school but this is why we are already treated differently than the average student. College athletes receive special treatment in a lot of ways.

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     How are we treated differently than the average student? For one, we receive scholarships. Although you can receive a scholarship for more than just athletic, most of the time our athletic scholarships are larger or even a full ride. “Athletic scholarships are their compensation and a fair one at that. Essentially they receive a free education and in return they represent the school in a certain sport. College athletes don’t have to worry about student loans, paying for textbooks, the cost of on-campus living, and meal plans.” (Kieran McCauley) In other words, we already receive thousands of dollars in compensation and therefore we are already being paid in the long run, maybe not cash that can be spent but we are saved a lot of money by the scholarships we receive. If I was being paid by the school, I would personally feel a little guilty because of the services we already receive. We are not professionals and this is not our career. We are here to get an education just like everyone else that attends our university. McCauley says that “71 percent of students leave a public four-year institution or private non-profit four-year institution in debt. The average debt is $32,528.” This is a very large debt and many students would be happy to play a sport for their school if that meant they could graduate mostly or completely debt free. The financial aspect of being a college athlete is only one main reason why we should not be paid.

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            Another big issue with paying college athletes is fairness when it comes to the amount each sport would receive. Would each college athlete get paid the same amount? If they all got paid the same amount would this really be fair? Whether you agree or not, each sport has a different level of importance or significance on a college campus and it varies from University to University. The importance of the sport varies because some sports bring more income to the school than others. This is not to say that one sport is better than the next or takes more skill but there are simply those certain sports that are considered popular and the ones that are not. “is that the athlete’s fault who plays a “non-revenue producing” sport. They may work just as hard, so shouldn’t they be rewarded equally?” (McCauley) This would cause a major dilemma because people would most likely become angry and feel like they have been cheated. This problem would not be worth the change and it would never get approved. There is simply too big of a grey area when it comes to deciding which sport should be paid what. If all athletes put in the same amount of work, time, and dedication, why shouldn’t they be paid the same? Of course the sports that are aired on television are the ones that will be paid the most. These sports usually include Basketball, Football, and Baseball. The sports which do not get aired would get paid less even though this has nothing to do with their ability to play well.

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            Another big reason is that being able to play a college sports is a privilege. “College athletes should recognize that the opportunity they have to play in college is something that millions of people dream of and never achieve.” (Dave Anderson) In other words, many people dream of being able to play college sports and are not able to so therefore the few that are lucky to play, especially at a D1 University should feel very blessed or lucky. If college athletes were paid I believe that many people would begin the play for all the wrong reasons. Personally, I came to college to play football because I love it and it is a passion of mine. The scholarship and other benefits are just perks in my eyes. I believe that college athletes should play their sport because they enjoy it. They should do it for the sense of family among their teammates, and the skills and life lessons it teaches you and also just for plain fun. If college athletes were paid the sport would become more like a job rather than a hobby or a passion.

            Next, like I stated before, college athletes are not professionals. They do not do this for a living such as MBA or NFL players do. A college athlete is a student first and foremost. The reason for them attending college is for their education. The exception would be someone who is exceptionally good at what they do and they have a high chance of making it pro, but even then, their degree and education should be their main focus. Apart from their scholarships, college athletes get numerous things free. “The Wall Street Journal mentions that athletes are treated like campus royalty, and are given priorities above other students. Furthermore, athletes take advantage of the most elite coaching, medical care, trainers, equipment, and attire. Travel and expenses are paid for, and the experiences student-athletes gain are priceless. Athletes also learn valuable skills such as leadership, time management, and team work which are all beneficial in the work place.” (Leigh Hadaway) In other words, they get much more than scholarship money alone. We receive free traveling, free passes from classes because we are traveling and playing games. We get an experience that many people do not get to have. We learn life lessons, discipline, determination, and life skills through our experience and that part of being a college athlete is priceless.

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                        When it comes to scholarships, or being paid as an employees, we could not have the best of both worlds. Many people do not consider the fact that if college athletes were paid a salary income, they would most likely not also continue to receive their scholarships. When counting all of the things that their scholarship covers, room and board, meal plan, books, and much more, this would add up to the salary they would most likely be earning. “In the new era, a coach could offer a recruit a salary instead of a scholarship. Does a $100,000 salary give the student-athlete a better deal than the $65,000 scholarship?” (John R. Thelin) So is this really and truly a better deal than a full ride scholarship? Many people do not consider that they would have to choose one or the other. A larger salary may seem like a better deal at first, such as a $100,000 salary over a $65,000 scholarship. But because this is a legal salary, you have to consider the deductions due to taxes and other fees. “But since it’s a salary, not a scholarship, it is subject to federal and state income taxes. Tuition and college expenses would not be deductible because the income level surpasses the IRS eligibility limit.” (Thelin) Therefore, after all the taxes are deducted, they would owe about $30,000 in taxes. This would leave them with close to the amount of the scholarship to begin with.

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                        In conclusion, student athletes should not be paid a salary for many valid reasons. Although some see it as unfair, there are more complications and problems that would arise if we started paying college athletes a salary. College athletes are well respected and we receive many benefits already. We are given the opportunity to play the sport we love and get an education while doing it. We get to form a bond with our teammates and coaches and this is far more important than the financial side of things.

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Works Cited

Anderson, Dave. "Top 10 Reasons College Athletes Should Not Be Paid." Top 10 Lists | ListLand.com. N.p., 17 Mar. 2016. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.

           

Kieran McCauley kmccauley@dailylocal.com @k_mac_14 on Twitter. "College athletes shouldn’t be paid." Daily Local News. Daily Local News, 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.

 

"Here's Why We Shouldn't Pay College Athletes | Money." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.