Should College Athletes Be Paid?

Why I think college athletes should be paid.

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Villanova players celebrate with the trophy after beating Michigan 79-62 in the championship game of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament.

Should College Athletes Be Paid?

Every year millions of people watch college sports games. But where does all of the money go? In 2018, the NCAA made $1.06 billion dollars off revenue alone. The athletes who play and attract fans that pay money to watch them don’t get a single penny from that. How is that fair? The NCAA makes way too much money to not pay the athletes who make them that money. During March Madness, the college athletics governing bodies will make around $900 million dollars. The players; however, will not receive revenue from that. The college athletics governing bodies are making millions of dollars to broadcast and host games but the athletes who dedicate all their time to the sport fail to be rewarded. For example, players who play football for National Championship worthy teams spend all of their time practicing and preparing for their season. Playing on a National Championship worthy team is no joke. Players who dedicate all of their time to a sport have a difficult time finding a consistent job with their lack of available time.

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A picture of the line of scrimmage taken right before the ball is snapped in an LSU and Alabama game.

Why Should College Athletes Be Paid?

If the people who televise college sports make money, then college athletes should make money. Paying college athletes could potentially keep some people in college. Some students who play a sport can’t get a job because they don’t have time for one. They have to go to school then practice. That can make it hard for people to stay in college when they need money to buy things that they need or to even support a family. If they can’t do those things then they feel that they need to quit school and look for a job. However, if these athletes got paid then that would not be a problem.

Some people believe college athletes should be paid because they dedicate so much time to the sport. College athletes have practice every day and it takes up a lot of there time. Also, college sports are very competitive and hard. Practices are very long and a lot is expected from a college athlete. There is also a lot of pressure on the athletes that have the potential to go pro.

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UK College Basketball Team winning the SCC Tournament.

Why Should College Athletes Not Be Paid?

There are multiple reasons why college athletes should and should not be paid. Some don’t agree with them getting paid because their college is being paid for. Also because they have not made it to the pros yet. However, others think they should be paid for multiple reasons. Most people think they should be paid because they don’t have time to get a job. Also because the college governing body makes over a billion dollars a year and keeps all of it. Lastly, another reason why people believe college athletes should be paid is that they put in so much work and dedicate all of they’re time to the sport.