Should College Athlete Be Paid to Play Football?

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Should college athletes be paid to play football
Should college athletes on scholarships deserve to be paid a salary as well as their scholarships just because the colleges and universities make a lot of money off of their players? No, they should not receive both. In fact, they should not receive any payment except in the form of their scholarships. When an athlete gets accepted into college to play football it is a privilege and receiving that scholarship is an honor and payment enough. Athletes know that when they graduate they will leave with no debt and that is a huge gift not to be in debt thousands of dollars and spending years paying back student loans. Scholarships are what every high school athlete hopes for and dreams of. College football players should not be paid, because they are students first, not professional athletes and being paid would affect the entire college and university system.
Athletic scholarships are at the center of a huge debate on whether college athletes should be paid a salary to play the sport they received their scholarship for. Scholarships are monies that a college will pay to have a student come and play a sport for that college. Tuition, books, tutoring, room and board are included in the scholarship. On average college football players athletic scholarships come to about forty-eight thousand dollars a year (Hoover). The amount the scholarship is worth depends on the school. A college athlete has five years of eligibility to use their scholarships. This could easily have a value of two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars by the time the athlete graduates with their degree (Gosselin). This is a great deal for the athlete, because if they were to get hurt and are out for the season they will be...

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...they are students first and foremost. If the athlete wants to be paid then they will have to work hard and hope to go to the Pros. Paying a student athlete will affect every aspect of the athletic programs and student education at every college and university. Athletes receive enough money in the way of free education, free books, free room and board, free tutoring and free medical care. College is a place of education where a student will learn a skill that will help them support themselves and their families long after they are able to play football. As Paul Daugherty states, “College is a privilege. It is earned, not bestowed” (Daugherty). Being accepted into college out of high school is an honor for every high school senior. College is not a place to earn a salary; it is a place for higher learning and wonderful opportunities.

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