Pay to Play: Payment for Collegiate Athletes in The United States

The Collegiate athletic programs in the United States have blasted incredibly over several years. Collegiate athletes should be able to receive payment while attending school because a college athlete is always work, the Networks make a bushel off of viewers that love watching the athletes play, and these student-athletes bring in revenue for their team and University, and if they can’t be paid at least offer medical care.

Sean Gregory stated, “In testimony exposing college basketball’s black-market economy, former Adidas associate T.J. Gassnola said he paid the family of former Kansas player Billy Preston $89,000 and the guardian of current Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa $2,500 for online classes. Money is already flowing to players; business is booming and will continue to thrive”. This shows that it’s going to happen even if it is illegal but the government prosecutes those who receive pay rather than encouraging payments. Horace states “The college sports industry generates $11 billion in annual revenues. Fifty colleges report annual revenues that exceed $50 million. Meanwhile, five colleges report annual revenues that exceed $100 million. These revenues come from numerous sources, including ticket sales, sponsorship rights, and the sale of broadcast rights. The BIG Ten Conference has launched its own television network that sells air time to sponsors during the broadcast of its football and men’s basketball games.” College athletics are in demand and having good athletes to perform make it more interesting to watch. Though student-athletes that are good want to join the professional draft because they want to make money. Also college athletes nowadays receive scholarships on year to year basis at which the student athlete may be fired at any time. College athletes have to earn money somehow but athletics are a full time job.

College sports are slowly moving away from amateurism. Schools receive money for fancy facilities, nice sports complexes, and charter jets for away games. Yet the kids that are performing and doing all the labor receive nothing. That is the only work in America where the person doing the labor sees none of the money. Student athletes put in so much work to be the best they can be most athletes spend several hours a day to be the best. Sometimes more than the average rate for most Americans living in the United States. Athletes cannot have real jobs there is just not time due to getting home late from away games. To be an athlete you have to get up early to work out or train in the morning. Waking up early in the morning usually results in being tired in class and students don’t really learn due to lack of sleep causing grades to drop. They also put themselves in the way of personal injury. It is unfair that the NCAA and some big colleges make millions of dollars because talented athletes don’t receive anything from their performance. Maddie Weiss stated that,” Players on top college football teams devote 43 hours a week to practice and perform in the games, according to an NCAA survey.” The student athletes hard work shows in games and when broadcasted earn Networks a lot of viewers.

Networks have been broadcasting college athletics for several decades. There are 13 different networks that broadcast so many different college games, 2 main ones which are fox sports and ESPN. In 1979 ESPN changed how sport events are broadcasted dramatically. ESPN paid $7.3 billion dollars for the right to air the four team playoff for 12 years. Nowadays several basketball tournaments are televised by many different television networks. One of the largest tournaments is the March Madness which ESPN paid $7.3 billion to televise. Football is also a major interest for viewers. All bowl games, including the College Football Playoff bowls air on ESPN networks unless otherwise noted. Also the NCAA division 1 championship is broadcasted by ESPN. Networks earn money from the amount of viewers and when millions of people are watching a certain network that network receives millions of dollars. Maddie said, “Millions of people are watching the March Madness, the annual championship tournament for college basketball”. Networks earn big bucks from collegiate sports but the networks share profit with Universities and Colleges.

Student athletes that are recruited and subsidized for ability to be televised where millions of people all over the United States should be paid like employees. People who watch athletes play on national television want to see them play in person causing ticket sales to increase. College athletes work very hard to put on great performances. When ticket sales increase which brings in more money to pay coaches. Coach for Alabama football Nick Saban got paid $8.3 million in one season which is the highest paid public paid employee. Yet the kids playing in these games receive at most as a scholarship. Student athletes that increase ticket sales have helped increase the total money generated from football and basketball by 300%. Sean stated, “Four head coaches that are members of the “Basketball Hall Of Fame”- took home a combined $26.4 million in total pay in 2018, according to a salary database compiled by USA Today”. Yet NCAA regulation disallows the players they coach- the ones millions will be cheering and jeering for on national television from making a market wage. Players produce revenues not only for their school but for business and networks. College athletes get hurt that’s just part of the game but they should not have to pay for their own medical care.

If college athletes can not be paid thence least pay for their medical bill. Because a lot of athletes put themselves in the way of personal injury. Some colleges take care of their athletes but most do not. Several college athletes have been injured and it has costed them millions, sometimes even their whole career can be ruined. On September 9, 2006, Inky Johnson went to tackle a wide receiver like he always does but this time it was different. The tackle resulted in a busted subclavian artery in his chest and torn shoulder ligaments. Inky had to use insurance to pay for his surgery but if colleges could pay for students to have surgeries which they need. There are several athletes out there that have been injured and paying for students medical bill would help greatly. Even though student athletes work so hard and give up most of their time many people believe they should not be paid.

College athletes should not be paid to play collegiate sports. Collegiate programs allow students to play sports that they love while receiving schooling and skilled needed to live a successful life. College athletes are students first that is what should be most important to them. Top college athletes get paid through scholarships totaling at $250,000 for four years of schooling. Horace Mitchell stated “Students are not professional athletes who are paid salaries and incentives for a career in sports. They are students receiving access to a college education through their participation in sports, for which they earn scholarships to pay tuition, fees, room and board, and other allowable expenses. Collegiate sport is not a careered profession. It is the students’ vehicle for a higher education degree.” A large amount of people are left without student loans due to scholarships. If you pay athletes, the amount that each student receives would differ causing drama between players. Students would not show up to class because they have no incentive to do so. By paying athletes it removes the competitive nature and passion in the sport.

In conclusion, the NCAA needs to pay their student athletes for their activity while at the collegiate level due to the revenue they bring in for their University, the amount of money networks earn from viewers, and all their hard work and time spent in their sport but if they do not pay them at least pay for their medical payments. These student athletes deserve compensation for a job well done.