Student Athletes Getting Paychecks???

College athletics is a billion dollar industry generating substantial amounts of

revenue every year. As the industry continues its steady rise, one of the more debated

topics in the college sports world is whether or not college athletes should be paid?

Student athletes have some of the most strenuous schedules worldwide. Not only do

they have to manage their athletic career, but simultaneously, they also have to focus

on their academics. However, that doesn’t mean they should be recompensed. College

athletes made a choice to multitask between both sports and school. Furthermore, a

majority of student athletes receive athletic scholarships allowing them to get a free

education. In addition to that, people still believe student athletes should be

compensated. Student athletes should not be paid because it would eliminate the

difference between amateurism and professionalism, students would focus more on

athletics than academics, and finally it can be a burden on schools leading to financial

struggles.

If college athletes were to get paid there would be no separation between

professional and amateur sports. As of right now, the main difference between the two

is that student athletes get an education for free. Student athletes go to college to

improve their athletic abilities and gain knowledgeable experience from the coaches to

advance to the professional stages; in addition to that, they also get a free scholarship

to study at their preferred school. Also, colleges aren’t required to have an athletics

program, the only reason institutions have an athletic department is they realize that the

student body, and the community love to rally behind student athletes. Additionally,

paying college athletes would ruin the college industry; it would take the
competitiveness and sportsmanship out of the game something that most people enjoy

about the amateur game. This would transpire because if student athletes start getting

paid they would inherit the same philosophy as professionals. For example,

professionals execute all types of shenanigans: they hold out on practices and games

just to get a revised contract with more money and bonuses. In particular, this

unfortunate type of event occurred with star running back, Le'veon Bell, of the NFL

team, the Pittsburgh Steelers; Bell requested for more money and a better contract,

holding out on both practices and games for an entire season. Due to the vexation he

caused, Bell was ultimately forced to join a new team in free agency for a substantially

worse contract. If student athletes performed the same type of buffoonery as

professionals, it would ultimately deteriorate the reasons why people love college

sports. There is a clear distinction between both college athletes and professionals and

it should stay that way.

One of the main things that student athletes gain from colleges are experienced

coaches and teachers to help them achieve their future goals. However, that type of

asset to student athletes can be tarnished by getting a salary. If student athletes start to

get compensated for their athletic abilities they will focus less on the entire college

aspect. They will worry more about which college pays them the most, more than which

college can help them assimilate the most. In addition to this, they will keep tabs of their

contract, bonuses, advertisement deals, and even brand deals. This will cause them to

lose concentration on academics and class assignments. This will transpire because

college athletes will have to devote at least 15-30 hours on average each week to their

preferred sport and focusing on other unnecessary deals, contracts will only divert their
attention from academics. This lost focus in the academic field can negatively affect

them later on in their career. Suppose, an athlete prioritizes himself on athletics

neglecting academics, believing he will make it to the professional stage. However, the

athlete doesn’t make it to the professional stage and he doesn’t have a contingency

play because throughout all of college he has been focusing on athletics and money

more than academics giving him less options in an alternate career field. This type of

growing theme will occur if student athletes are paid because they will forget the real

reasons why they are going to college. To counteract, this type of occurrence colleges

should renew focus in creating incentives for student athletes who excel at balancing

both athletics and academics. This will give students a motive to divert their attention to

academics, which will prevent them from focusing too much on athletics.

Student athletes getting paid would create a heavy financial burden on colleges.

Most of the revenue for colleges come from athletics, whether it's tickets, concessions,

or merchandise. This revenue is usually used to give scholarships to worthy applicants,

it is also used to finance teachers and coaches, and lastly it is used to fund other

programs at the college. Colleges already have to pay lengthy bills, paying college

athletes just adds on to the list of the financial struggles for colleges. If athletes begin to

receive pay many colleges would have to shut down many of their other programs, fire

many teachers and coaches, and would not bestow any scholarships away because

they would need the tuition fees from future students to pay their bills. Therefore,

preventing colleges from improving as a school to appeal to future students. For this

reason many colleges would rather halt their athletic department than discontinuing their

academic department. To further extend the colleges problems if student athletes get
paid, paycheck equality between athletes could cause commotion, outrage, and riots

near the campus. That could create a toxic environment for everyone on campus and

be detrimental in the college’s recruiting processes of future students. Because of the

financial struggles and toxic environment paying student athletes can cause, this can

easily be prevented by not paying them.

Even though paying college athletes will be onerous for colleges, many people

believe college athletes should be paid. Their main point being that college athletes

generate a source of revenue for the college with ticket sales, merchandise, sponsors,

concessions, and TV rights to public viewership. Although the argument is valid, most of

that revenue is put back into the college to pay bills, teachers and coaches, fund other

college programs, and to give scholarships to future students. With that much to

account for, paying student athletes will result in debt for the colleges not permitting

them to ameliorate and help future generations to come, on their path to success.

Another argument that people for paying student athletes claim is that being both a

student and an athlete is a full time job. They aver this because an average student

athlete toils 43 hours a week with homework, practice, and games. This is important

because the average employee only moils 40 hours a week. Yet, student athletes don’t

get paid because it was their decision to multitask and do both. If student athletes feel

that their schedule is too hectic they can always move on from athletics. Colleges aren’t

forcing them to do athletics; it was their decision. For reasons such as that colleges

should not have to pay student athletes.

College athletes are undoubtedly some of the most hard working people around

the world. Yet, this doesn’t mean they deserve to get paid. College athletes deserve to
get educated, with the full ride scholarship they are gifted from colleges, whether it is

about athletics or academics. The best way to keep them focused on their future is by

not paying them. If colleges don’t pay student athletes we won’t ever have to encounter

problems such as the difference between amateurism and professionalism, students

prioritizing athletics over academics, and lastly schools closing down.

Words cited

Anderson, Dave. "Top 10 Reasons College Athletes Should Not Be Paid". Listland.Com, 2019,
http://www.listland.com/top-10-reasons-college-athletes-not-be-paid/.

Martinez, Madisen. "Should College Student-Athletes Be Paid? Both Sides Of The Debate".
Collegexpress.Com, 2019, https://www.collegexpress.com/articles-and-
advice/athletics/blog/should-college-student-athletes-be-paid-both-sides-debate/.