Why College Athletes Should Not Be Paid

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Timmy Hardin September 15, 2016 English Commentary Essay Athletes everywhere complain and gripe about how little money they have. What they don’t realize is, it’s not just them. Most college students do not have a sufficient amount of money that they can buy whatever they want. It is outrageous that athletes believe they are entitled to accommodations because they play sports. To play a sport at the collegiate level is a privilege (Top 10 Reasons College Athletes Should Not Be Paid). Students that participate in athletics should not receive any payment because they are receiving tons of benefits, free tuition, and this would extend the talent gap. Athletes are receiving a ton of benefits from the university they are attending. …show more content…

Terrelle sold his Big Ten Championship ring on eBay for over $18,000 (Damien). If it was his ring, why would he be punished for selling it? The NCAA has a compliance clause that states that no athlete should make money based on his/her prestige (Summary of NCAA Eligibility Regulations). Pryor made $12,000 more off his ring than any of his teammates (Damien). The NCAA ruled that Ohio State would be placed on a two-year postseason ban. The NCAA needs to continue to come down hard on players and programs who think they can bend the rules of …show more content…

Instead, put each collegiate player on salary (Thelin). Once again, there are too many flaws to count. For instance, to put a collegiate player on salary, the NCAA would have to take into concern state income tax (Thelin). Each state differs in this regard. Perhaps this will be used as a recruiting tool for universities. The team markets that their state has a lower state income tax than other schools. On top of taxes, the student-athlete would still need to pay for tuition, books, room and board, meal plans, etc. (Thelin). There are flaws to every solution, so why try and change what the NCAA has been doing for years. Many sports people say that if the NCAA pays the athletes to play, it will encourage them to stay in school longer. The money that the athletes will receive at the next level will be bigger than any amount the NCAA can afford to pay them. Athletes argue that the NCAA and ESPN are making billions of dollars off of them to air their games; why can’t they get compensation for it. This argument is valid, but no matter what amount, free education is far more valuable than any financial amount. You’re talking about giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to

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