Many athletes can’t even afford to have their family come to the stadium and watch them play. For example, “The Average University of Texas Football Player Is Worth $605,000”, yet several of these players are live near the poverty line. Due to college athlete’s the lack of money, “boosters” are created. A booster is someone that represents a university that bribes players with money and cars so they can play sports at their university or college. Even though it is a great idea, according to the NCAA it is illegal for them to give money to college athletes. One the greatest quarterbacks in NFL, Reggie Bush, was bribed by a booster.
Reggie Bush was paid by a booster to be the running back the University of South Carolina. When Bush was caught, he was massively criticized by others and even had to return his Heisman trophy. Although Reggie Bush actions were wrong, it is tough to give him any criticism. Before reaching the NFL, Bush didn’t not come a wealthy family. Even with a full-ride scholarship, it was almost impossible for him to cover all of his expenses. So when a booster offered to take the weight off of Bush’s back and pay his mother rent, he felt obligated to take the offer. If college athletes were compensated to play in the NCAA, then they wouldn’t have to worry
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about boosters creating an imbalance in competition among college sports. College athletes deserve to be rewarded for their efforts on the field just like a professional athlete because they are, just like the professional athletes, putting their bodies and lively hoods at risk due to injury each time they step onto the field. There is little protect for college athletes who are injured while playing. In 2013 Louisville Cardinals basketball player, Kevin Ware, suffered the worst injury ever seen on a basketball court. He broke his leg on a play and immediately went to the hospital. His bone was visible. Lucky for him, six months later he was healed and back on the court. There have been occasions where athletes have been paralyzed by hits or tackles on the football field. Some injuries have ended college athlete’s career before they even got started. Many schools offer athletes scholarships that are one year renewable, which mean an injury can cause that scholarship to be revoked and the player would receive no workers compensation for those injuries That’s what happened to former University of Oklahoma basketball player Kyle Hardrick. Kyle Hardrick was committed to the University of Oklahoma at the age of 14. Four years later, after receiving a full ride scholarship to OU, Hardrick finally had finally been able to step onto the OU court in 2009. But his dream soon became a nightmare when his knee injury during practice, sent him to the doctor. Over the next two years, Hardrick only played just six minutes. His knee injury has put his future and his scholarship on hold. As Hardrick tried to resume career, he was unable to receive a medical hardship waiver from OU, which is needed to regain a year of college eligibility. His family was stuck with tuition and medical bills, and his scholarship was not renewed. Hardrick was forced to attend community college. For most college athletes, their sport is their key to their career. For them to be injured and lose their livelihood with nothing to show for it is absurd. Being a college athlete as a “big business in which everyone is making money, everyone except the eighteen to twenty-one-year-old kids who every game risk permanent career-ending injuries.” Student athletes should be compensated for their work because they bring in an incredible amount of revenue to their school for nothing in return. Each year Colleges and Universities make billions of dollars on their athletes alone. These schools are using athletes to bring money and build a good reputation, yet they are not rewarding the athletes who are giving their school a name. “College athletes are being exploited by their schools, which make millions of dollars off of intercollegiate athletics.” Colleges and Universities are using these athletes to increase their reputation and revenue. The NCAA is treating the future professional athletes like slaves. In 2013 the NBA made $ 5 billion in revenue. In comparison NCAA sports made more than twice than twice that number with an estimate of $ 11 billion. These schools are bringing in more revenue than the NBA is. NCAA coaches are becoming millionaires by the second, while their hardworking athletes are doing all the work. Most coaches receive bonuses when the athletes go to SWAC and win different championships. What do the players get? A big pat on the back, a huge smile, and encouraging words to continue to do what they are doing. In basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar essay, “College Athletes of the World, Unite”, he is arguing in favor of compensating student athletes. Abdul-Jabbar believes that college athletes are being exploited by the NCAA. In his article Kareem Abdul-Jabbar uses his own experience as a college athlete at UCLA to explain the struggles of a college athletes. He also mentioned how even getting a job over the break and selling season tickets still left him without any money. I think that it’s unfair for the NCAA doesn’t allow college athletes to get a job, but the coaches are becoming millionaires. I agree with Abdul-Jabbar argument college athletes are not getting the treatment they deserve. The athletes are supposed to benefit from their schools, not the other way around. The NCAA is keeping money from athletes who clearly deserve to get paid. One example of the NCAA exploiting college athletes is the case Ed O’Bannon vs NCAA. Former UCLA basketball player, Ed O’Bannon, recently filed a lawsuit with the NCAA. Years after graduation, former UCLA basketball player, O’Bannon discovered that he was being used as a basketball character on a video game without his consent. O’Bannon never received any profit for his character being used in the game. Here is another example of college athletes being exploited. In an ESPN documentary titled “Fab Five,” a college basketball player for the University of Michigan said, that “it was hard to see my jersey in the stands and knowing that just my number was on it, not my name.” In the documentary he later states that even though his jersey was being promoted by Adidas, he never received any money for it. On an episode of Frontline: “Money and March Madness:” former marketing executive at Nike, Adidas, and Reebok, Sonny Vaccaro, states that “Everybody's making money, except the kids.” Later in this video he talks about how he uses the college athletes to promote the Nike brand for free. Now, Vaccaro has left the business world and he’s spearheading a class-action lawsuit that aims to ensure that players get a piece of the action. Paying college athletes will motivate them to finish their college degree. “Paying student-athletes would provide athletes an incentive to stay in school and complete their degree programs, instead of leaving early for the professional leagues” If the NCAA decides to pay athletes to play, not only will it help college expenses that scholarships couldn’t pay for, but it will also make athletes want to finish their education. NCAA goes by the motto “student athletes are students first and athletes second.” However, in today’s society, it is more likely for athletes to leave early for the pros. In college basketball, freshman stars are referred to as “one and done” players. This phrase means that they complete one year of college, and go straight to the professional leagues. When college athletes go straight to the pros, they forget how important their education is. The NCAA not paying college athletes makes seems like they are in favor of college athletes leaving college to go pro. According an article “A university’s primary objective is to provide its students with a quality education that prepares them to function in the world as opposed to in college.” However, not paying athletes leaves their students with no other choice but to not graduate and leave school to meet their financial needs. With all the money the schools are making on their athletes, paying college athletes should be a breeze. Paying college athletes will not only teach athletes to value education, but it will also teach them to be more responsible with their money if they ever make it to the big leagues. Professional athletes make over a million dollars while they are young so when it is time to retire they are financially secured. In an ESPN documentary “30 for 30 Broke” they interview several retired athletes that were making millions of dollars when they played in the NFL, but after years of retirement they have gone from rich to broke. According to a 2009 Sports Illustrated article, “60 percent of former NBA players are broke within five years of retirement.” “78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress” after only two year of retirement. Most of the athletes who bankrupt didn’t finish college. This shows that paying athletes while they are young will teach them to be responsible when it comes to managing their money when they are in the professional leagues. With colleges exploiting students and not pushing them to finish school, poses the bigger question of whether the NCAA really values towards education or not. For instance, when former Stanford University quarterback, Andrew Luck, decided to stay in school another year to earn his degree, he was greatly criticized. Luck turned down a multimillionaire dollar contract to play in the NFL. Luck made a brave move and put his education over his athletics. However, the athletic community looked down Luck because they thought he made a poor decision. The questioned people asked themselves was why someone would want to stay in school and not take the millions of dollars. Instead of receiving praise for finishing his education, Luck was put down and thought he had made the worst decision of his college career. The true meaning of education was overshadowed by the amount of money he was offered. People thought that he should have given up on school and played in the NFL. While Luck was focused on an education, everyone else was focused on the entertainment. He was a college student who valued his education above all, including millions of dollars. The NCAA is forgetting that these athletes go to school not just to play their sport, but to receive an education. Andrew Luck is now a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. Because Luck valued his education more than money and fame, he will still be successful when he is old and retired. The bottom line is, the NCAA is ripping off these college athletes.
A “full” scholarship should pay for a full education, not part of it. No one wants to see their hard work go down the drain. The truth is, several of these college athletes are being paid under the table anyhow. Why not put an end to “boosters” and legally compensate these hard working athletes. Some think that paying athletes is unjust to regular college students. While paying college athletes may seem unjust to others, there are several benefits that come with paying athletes while in college. One of the benefits is financial security. Knowing that you have all the funds you need to get through college is the most
important. Another benefit for paying college athletes is that they have a chance to see how it feel to have a little extra money in their pockets, so when they go to the professional leagues they will know how to manage their money, and not go broke years after retirement. I am not saying make these athletes millionaires. But a small salary from all the money they help bring in will help. The bottom line is college athletes should get paid for their hard work. The amount of time these College athletes spend in the classroom and on the field is equivalent to a full time job. Colleges should pay athletes for their work on the field as if it was a job. These athletes bring in so much money that if they would pay each player for their sport, they will still have billions of dollars left. The NCAA will always be a big money maker. Our college athletes are the future of our professional leagues and should be treated as such.
Those who play popular and highly competitive college sports are treated unfairly. The colleges and universities with successful sports like football and basketball receive millions of dollars in television and ad space revenues, so do the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which is the governing body of big time college sports. Many coaches are also paid over $1 million per year. Meanwhile, the players that help the colleges receive these millions of dollars are forbidden to receive any gifts or money for their athletic achievements and performances. As a solution college athletes ...
On a podcast from virginiaforusa.com the speaker Doug Merril said " colleges give most of the major athletes huge sums of money through scholarships some of these scholarships can be worth up top 200,000 dollars."Colleges shouldn’t have to pay athletes if they already get money
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.
First lets explore the history behind the paying of college athletes. Over the past 50 years the NCAA has been in control of all Div.1, 2 and 3 athletic programs. The NCAA is an organization that delegates and regulates what things college athletes can and can’t do. These regulations are put in place under the label of ‘protecting amateurism’ in college sports. This allots
The schools should not be paying them a salary, but rather allowing their athletes to receive money for their likeness, and/or time. Now not every player is good enough to be promoted like others, it would raise the playing field in college football. It’s very selfish of the NCAA to promote these players and making money off of them with compensating them. When you look at it; it’s si...
In the beginning of inter-collegiate competition and even now the governing body the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) wanted athletes to maintain their amateurism. Being an amateur means, to remain unpaid why competing and performing a c. Athletes were to come from the student body and off-campus recruitment of athletes was prohibited. The problem with the many rules and regulations of the NCAA early on was that they expected schools to police themselves and uphold a certain amount of morality, but without checks and balances corruption was sure to take place and did so. From the late 1920’s and into the 1940’s big-time athletes would be “sponsored” by alumni in order to get them to play for that schools team. The alumni would usually just pay the tuition for the athlete and usually it was seen as a loan but rarely got paid back.
...utions. (David Meggyesy, Personal Communication, December 12, 2000) Furthermore, because current NCAA rules make it difficult for these athletes to earn enough money to cover their normal living expenses, he believes they often have to turn to the "black market" (i.e. boosters) for financial support. (David Meggyesy, Personal Communication, December 12, 2000)
Some people say that college athletes get paid by having a scholarship, but if you look at it a different way, scholarships might change your mind. Coaches try to get players who they think have the talent to make them win and to persuade them to come to their school by offering them scholarships. The whole idea behind a scholarship is to lure the athlete into coming to your school. Scholarships are nothing more than a recruitment tactic. They will give you a scholarship as long as you produce for them. It’s all about what you can do for them. Indeed these scholarships pay for tuition, room and board, and books, but these athletes don’t have money for other necessities. The NCAA doesn’t want friends or boosters to offer athletes jobs because they ...
College athletes are manipulated every day. Student athletes are working day in and day out to meet academic standards and to keep their level of play competitive. These athletes need to be rewarded and credited for their achievements. Not only are these athletes not being rewarded but they are also living with no money. Because the athletes are living off of no money they are very vulnerable to taking money from boosters and others that are willing to help them out. The problem with this is that the athletes are not only getting themselves in trouble but their athletic departments as well.
Even the waterboy gets paid! NCAA football is a billion dollar a year empire, in which coaches, executives, school presidents, board members, athletic trainers, athletic directors, equipment managers, Waterboys, towel boys, ball boys, and even team mascots all receive a chunk of the revenue. Everyone gets paid except the athletes, who don’t receive a dime of the money. That’s because it’s against NCAA rules to pay college athletes with anything other than an athletic scholarship; anything else, and it’s deemed as an improper benefit, thus making an athlete ineligible if he/she were to accept. The NCAA defends its rule of “no-pay” by claiming that all its student-athletes are “amateurs” and not employees; therefore, they’re legally not compensated. The argument over whether student-athletes should be paid or not, is particularly unsettling within the sport of football, because NCAA football is the most popular and profitable sport of all college athletics. The NCAA’s discrepancy over whether it should pay its players or not, currently has the association fighting a lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon, who’s suing for compensation on behalf of former Division I football and men’s basketball players. The lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s use of student-athletes’ images and likeness for commercial purposes (PBS.org). In recent months the argument has been geared more towards whether current student-athletes should be paid or not, particularly football players, who like former Texas A&M star quarterback Johnny Manziel, provide the athleticism and entertainment that makes NCAA football the million dollar empire that it is. So, should college football players be paid?
In recent years the idea of student-athletes getting paid for playing in college has become more and more popular. There have been many instances where questions have been raised surrounding some of the finest athletes participating in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Some of the biggest names in athletics have been involved, including Cam Newton, Reggie Bush, Johnny Manziel, along with many more athletes who have been exposed by the media for supposedly accepting cash benefits while in college. Most recently Johnny Manziel has been brought up in an autograph scandal. Apparently he was paid ten-thousand dollars for more than over one thousand and one hundred autographs. Ultimately Manziel was only suspended one half of a full collegiate football game, but is it really fair that he was forced to sit a half of football game because he simply gave some people his John Hancock? Reggie Bush and Cam Newton have both been involved in scandals involving mone...
There has been an extensive debate over the years about college athletes being paid and I honestly don’t see why there is a debate about it at all. The NCAA has strict rules about players receiving benefits from the school in forms of helping players and their families in the form of paychecks or even helping pay bills. College sports bring in an enormous amount of money for the schools every year and are expected to be given nothing in return. Sports do not only bring in money to schools but also more students and fans. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) have taken several players’ records and rewards from them for the simple fact of getting benefits from the school and that is just not acceptable (Allen 115). Athletes are just like every other student in the way of having to pay for housing, food, bills, and more. Having to balance school and sports gives athletes no time to have jobs which means they do not have a way to bring in money to pay for the essentials of going to
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!
Most successful college sports teams rake in millions of dollars in revenue. Steve Spurrier, the coach for the Florida Gators signed a six year contract where he would make a little over 2.5 million dollars a year not including certain benefits like a free car for his wife. So with the institutions and coaches getting rich off their player who is to say that the player does not deserve a share of the wealth? Most college athletes get around 200-250 dollars a month for living expenses and spending money, this is very small compared to the student who has time to work. Some people say that athletes get paid by having a scholarship but if you look at the ulterior motive behind scholarships I think people would change their minds. Coaches try to get players who they think have the talent to make them win and to persuade them to come to their school they try to give them scholarships. So the whole idea behind a scholarship is to lure the student to come to your school. Scholarships are just a recruitment tactic. Don’t confuse what I am saying though I don’t think college players should be making millions of dollars but there should be a set salary for all p...
The complaint of the academic institution receiving the TV and merchandising money while players get next to nothing is a ridiculous sentiment. The apparatus of said institutions is not set up to drain players but the opposite. Student-athletes get room and board, the opportunity to show their skills to professional scouts, and most importantly a free education (Ramey 1). Though even with this provided, a collection of athletes somehow struggle to make ends meet. Out of all college athletes living on-campus, a whopping 86 percent drop below the federal poverty line (Alford 1). Faith Alford, journalist for the Daily Cougar, claims that the student-athletes cannot afford food at times, considering their sport is their full time job (1). Even so, that’s another day in the life of any other college student. College students make cutbacks all the time, staple foods are ramen noodles and great value counterparts to popular brands. Everyone has to make sacrifices. There is acknowledgement to be made to Alford 's statement, regardless, as of January 27th, 2015, College athletes are getting more than just tuition, room, and board under a vote taken at the NCAA 's annual convention (Berkowitz 1). These added benefits are called stipends, which could also be a problem for schools like TU. Stipends are not as simple as one would think. If these plans were to follow through in all places with players getting $2,000