In trying to decide what research topic I wanted to use, I took many ideas into thought. I decided that the one idea that interests me most is whether student athletes should be paid or not. This is very intriguing to me since my master’s program is sports management. In order to do this research there must be many ways to use research as well as ideas from other people. This project is a very big topic in today’s discussion amongst sport fans, college administrators, and student athletes themselves. Media has recently put more pressure on this topic as well with the Northwestern decision to unionize as well as pointing out an athletic director gaining an $18,000 supplement for a wrestler at their school winning a national championship. To gain a better idea on this very topic, I would like to do an extensive research on how many variables could affect different people or universities from the idea of student athletes being paid from their university.
This topic mind boggles me because of all of the variables involved as well as what can be learned from the research. One thing that I would like to learn is how much money is profited for some of the major universities by some of their big time athletes. This interests me because being an Auburn fan, Cam Newton and Bo Jackson are two of the most prolific athletes ever to touch the football field and both played at Auburn. Every game that I attend thousands of fans wear those gracious number 2 and 34 jerseys without a name on the back. I would like to know how much money was profited from just those two players alone for Auburn University without ever having to pay them for their efforts on the field. This happens all over the country each year, yet only the school...
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...oday because of the time it takes to participate in practice, games, and off season workouts for each sport. When watching pro sports, you will notice at the end of games that athletes from the losing team do not appear to be as disappointed in losing as college athletes. Sometimes when watching, fans believe that this reason is because pro athletes do not care as much because they still will get paid at the end of the day. This could be an effect on college sports if student athletes are paid. Many things that could alter college athletics is what interests me most about this topic and hopefully will help others become more informed of the situation on both sides.
Reference Page
Creswell, John W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods
Approaches, 4th Ed.(pp. 4- 32). U.S.: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
Should college athletes receive pay for what they do? You’ve probably seen this pop-up a million times, and thought about it. You’ve probably figured why should they? Aren’t they already receiving benefits from a full-ride scholarship? But then an athlete will get caught up in a scandal like Johnny Manziel, where he signed footballs for money.. then you think well why shouldn’t he receive that money? And you then contradict yourself. But shouldn’t they receive money from outside sources, and then the benefits from the school. Not get a salary from the school just the benefits they’re already receiving, and money from sponsors. Wouldn’t that make sense considering the money they’re making the school? According to an ESPN report Alabama University makes $123,769,841 in total revenue from sports. (College Athletics Revenue) Yes ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY THREE MILLION. Yet an athlete from Alabama can only receive benefits from a scholarship.. That doesn’t seem right. You would want to be payed when the opportunity arises. It should only be fair these players get a piece of the revenue pie, after all they are the ones creating the revenue. The players should be getting benefits to allow them to pay for basic college needs, grow up to be responsible adults, and allow the NCAA to thrive. This would allow for the NCAA to truly thrive as a sporting association.
... being paid. Many people prefer watching college sports over professional sports based on the idea that money isn’t involved in college sports. They are competing and giving everything they have for the love of their teammates, the love of their school, and above all, their love for the game. Paying athletes would ruin this standard of intercollegiate athletics. For all these reasons, college athletes should not be paid beyond their full ride scholarships.
...whole different world from professional sports considering they supply men with a family to help grow character with, supply them with a free education, and create a whole community of people that are loyal and generally remain loyal to one school. This bridge between the two sports could be majorly affected if college athletes were to be paid and would then bring up the issue about paying even high school athletes eventually. It is merely opening a can of worms and has been a tradition for so long that it should remain one for years to come. College athletes might not be receiving a full salary but that is not the point of it and they know what they are getting into when they commit to playing a sport. This long-standing barrier between professional and college athletics should remain how it is for the good of everyone but mostly the athletes and college programs.
Today there are over 450,000 college athletes and the National College Athletics Association (NCAA) faces a difficult decision on whether or not college athletes should be paid. Many people believe that they should and many believe they should not. There are several benefits that college’s athletes receive for being a student athlete. Why should they receive even more benefits than their scholarship and numerous perks?
College athletes generate millions of dollars for their schools each year, yet they are not allowed to be compensated beyond a scholarship due to being considered amateurs. College athletes are some of the hardest working people in the nation, having to focus on both school courses and sports. Because athletics take so much time, these student-athletes are always busy. College football and basketball are multi-billion dollar businesses. The NCAA does not want to pay the athletes beyond scholarships, and it would be tough to work a new compensation program into the NCAA and university budgets. College athletes should be compensated in some form because they put in so much time and effort, generating huge amounts of revenue.
The debate on whether college athletes should be paid to play is a sensitive controversy, with strong support on both sides. College athletics have been around for a long time and always been worth a good amount of money. This billion dollar industry continues to grow in popularity and net worth, while they continue to see more and more money come in. The student-athletes who they are making the money off of see absolutely none of this income. It is time that the student-athletes start to see some of this income he or she may by helping bring the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are many people who do not think this is in the best interest of the student-athletes or Universities, but that being said there are also many people who are in favor of the change.
College athletes should be paid! College athletes are often considered to be some of the luckiest students in the world. Most of them receiving all inclusive scholarships that cover all the costs of their education. They are also in a position to make a reputation for themselves in the sporting world preparing them for the next step. The ongoing debate whether student athletes should be paid has been going on for years. These athletes bring in millions of dollars for their respective schools and receive zero in return. Many will argue that they do receive payment, but in reality it is just not true. Costs associated with getting a college education will be discussed, information pertaining to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and benefits student athletes receive. First, I’ll start with costs associated with college and most of all why student athletes should be paid!
College athletes should be paid because they are basically working for the school. When a student gets a scholarship to a college for a sport they are expected to practice with the team and without the team, so on their free time. College athletes go way over the maximum amount of hours they are allowed to practice with the team. A 2011 survey, from the article Should College Athletes Be Paid?, states “The NCAA has a limit of 20 hours of training per week, D1 football players on average practice 43 hours a week, baseball 42.1 hours a week, and men’s basketball 39.2 hours a week”(Walch). With
Eitzen, D. Stanley. "College Athletes Should Be Paid." Sports and Athletes. Ed. James D. Torr.
Only about 2% percent of high school athletes get sports scholarships every year at NCAA colleges and universities. For those who do get one, the average scholarship is less than $11,000 (Eitzen, D. Stanley). Every year college athletes are publicized and exploited for their talents and skills. Universities and Colleges sell jerseys and put athletes names on billboards and jumbotrons, and even used their likeness to have video games dedicated to the athletes themselves. In 2011-2012, the NCAA made 871.6 million dollars in revenue (Eitzen, D. Stanley). And guess how much money the athletes, who actually make the money, get from this exposure, 0%. The exposure or publicity of the athletes is the main reason why college athletes should be paid. College athletes are publicized on TV, magazines, and
College athletes are undoubtedly some of the hardest working people in the world. Not only are they living the life of an average student, they also have a strenuous schedule with their specific sport. One of the most discussed topics in the world of college athletics is whether or not student-athletes should be paid money for playing sports. The people who disagree with the idea have some good arguments to make. Primarily that the athletes get to go to school for free for playing sports. Another argument is that if student-athletes were to get paid then it would ruin the amateurism of college sports. People who are against paying the athletes do not want to see the young people become focused on money. “Paying student-athletes would dramatically shift their focus away from where it should be - gaining knowledge and skills for life after college” (Lewis and Williams). This is very understandable because one of the biggest reasons college sports are so popular is because the athletes play for school pride and for bragging rights. They play because they enjoy the game, not because it is their job. Most people that disagree with the idea of paying the athletes fail to realize what really goes on behind the scenes. At most Universities around the country the bulk of the income the school receives is brought in through the athletic programs. In fact the football and basketball teams usually bring in enough money to completely pay for the rest of the athletic programs all together. To get a better understanding of how much has changed in the world of college sports a little history must be learned.
College athletics is a billion dollar industry and has been for a long time. Due to the increasing ratings of college athletics, this figure will continue to rise. It’s simple: bigger, faster, stronger athletes will generate more money. College Universities generate so much revenue during the year that it is only fair to the players that they get a cut. College athletes should get paid based on the university’s revenue, apparel sales, and lack of spending money.
Mark Edelman reported that, “The NCAA currently produces nearly $11 billion in revenue— more than the estimated total league revenues of both the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League”(Forbes 1). This money derives from ticket sales, merchandise sales, endorsements, etc. The NCAA then pays the colleges 60 percent of the 11 billion they acquire, but where does it go? Unfortunately, the money is not spent on education or research, but is instead spent on things such as lavish jets, new equipment, and new facilities. Not to mention, the coaches and administrators make staggering amounts of money from high salaries to performance bonuses. Performance bonuses result from a successful season, which leads back to the players. Fans of these sports pay large sums of money to see the athletes live in action and television companies pay even more to broadcast their games for the country to see. People aren’t spending money to wear jerseys with the name of the coach or administrator on their back, so why is the majority of the money earned going to them? Despite all of the money floating around, the athletes, who are the reason behind all of it, see nothing. They are the ones putting in the work and suiting up when game day comes around. The college athletes deserve to be compensated for their contributions by being paid a
Abstract: Collegiate athletes participating in the two revenue sports (football, men's basketball) sacrifice their time, education, and risk physical harm for their respected programs. The players are controlled by a governing body (NCAA) that dictates when they can show up to work, and when they cannot show up for work. They are restricted from making any substantial financial gains outside of their sports arena. These athletes receive no compensation for their efforts, while others prosper from their abilities. The athletes participating in the two revenue sports of college athletics, football and men's basketball should be compensated for their time, dedication, and work put forth in their respected sports.
ESPN generated 7.3 billion dollars from people gambling on there website. Last season, Ohio State University made 40 million dollars because they won the BCS championship (statisticbrain.com). While the players worked very hard, they get paid nothing. Without the hard work and dedication from the football players, the NCAA wouldn’t exist. Marvin Williams, former UNC star basketball player said this, “You go to Chapel Hill and try to go to a Carolina-Duke game, good luck trying to find a ticket. It’s nationally televised. There’s so much money that goes behind just one basketball game. I do think the players from both sides should definitely see some type of benefit.” (charlotteobserver.com). Former Oklahoma running back, Adrian Peterson, comments on the urgent need to pay athletes and says, "I feel like as much money as universities make, I feel that some of that money should be given down to the players as well because we are the ones that are making this university money," Peterson said. "These bowl games? Without the players, how much money to do they make? None." Peterson also added some thoughts on playing college basketball,"I hear that they're trying to make basketball players go two years to college," the 2012 MVP said, unprompted. "Wow. I wonder why? Just think about it. Imagine