[18] [19], Michael Sokolove, author of The Last Temptation of Rick Pitino (2018), explained, If you look at a program like [University of] Louisville, they generate about $45 million a year in revenue. This option is better than being forced into an entire program they cant complete due to the lack of time. On one side of the argument, many think that it is appropriate to pay college athletes. [13] [14] [41], Gabe Feldman, JD, Professor of Sports Law, Director of the Sports Law Program and Associate Provost for NCAA compliance at Tulane University, noted that the last time the NCAA was at the Supreme Court was in 1984 (NCAA vs. the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma). [20]. It's not about finding the right answer because there is no right answer. Another argument in favor of paying student-athletes is that these students sacrifice their studies to play at a competitive level. If a majority of these college athletes, who are bringing in staggering amounts of money to these schools were white, would this even be a conversation? Like other difficult questions, there are good arguments on both sides of the issue of paying college athletes. We explore the pros and cons and conclude that college students have a right to be paid. But as we've discussed, this is seldom the case most athletes only receive partial scholarships. Looking for more debate, speech, or essay topics? [3], California was the first state to pass a NIL (name, image, and likeness) law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Listen, 90 percent of these college guys are gonna spend it on tats, weed, kicks, Xboxes, beer and swag. "This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image, and likeness opportunities," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. No longer would fit, college, university reputation, and values factor into their college decisionsrather, choices would be made simply based on who was offering the most money. [12] The Supreme Court heard arguments on Mar. The ruling changed the broadcast regulations for college football. WebPeople should be paid for their labor and the value it brings to organizations. WebThe average college receives around 95 million dollars per season. So should they be paid beyond their scholarships? Against this backdrop, here are both sides of the issue. If colleges and universities pay their athletes, there is a fear that resources will only go to popular, revenue-generating sports. A seriously injured athlete could lose their scholarship (which is guaranteed only for one year at a time), jeopardize their opportunity to play professionally and potentially earn millions, or even face lifelong disability if the damage is permanent. All of this begs the question, that if the NCAA did choose to pay college athletes, what would be the advantages or disadvantages of doing so? Should all athletes be paid? Keep in mind, it was just in March 2021 that the NCAA made national news for its unequal treatment of the mens and womens NCAA basketball tournaments. The NCAA assumes Congress eventually will pass a federal law providing consistent standards for NIL endeavors, though members of Congress cannot seem to agree on the parameters. On a crisp Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan is set to battle its archrival, The Ohio State University, for gridiron supremacy in the Big Ten Conference and perhaps a shot at the national championship. He holds a master's degree from Columbia University and a 2023 BestColleges.com, a Red Ventures Company, The Public Ivies, Little Ivies, and Other Ivy League Equivalents, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, long-term effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, proportionate opportunities for scholarships, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. It is the latest chapter of an athlete rights movement that has generated The first reason is college athletes put their bodies on the line and risk injury to entertain people. Considering other scholarships and aid are widely available and not all college athletes require financial aid, the NCAA scholarships are generous. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken), Black Americans Support Paying College Athletes. [46], The University of North Carolina became the first school to organize group licensing deals for student athletes in July 2021. What about scholarships though? 1 overall pick and earn a multimillion-dollar contract? However, in 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Play Act that allows college athletes to hire agents, sign endorsement deals, and be paid for the use of their likeness. College sports, particularly football, are a big deal and a big business. Explain your answer(s). College Athletes Getting Paid? It could lower tuition rates. As of Mar. So they think that He has 30 years of experience in higher education as a university administrator and faculty member and teaches writing at Johns Hopkins University. This was quite a change from polling conducted in 2017, when 60% believed college scholarships were enough compensation for college athletes. College students should participate in sports for the love of the game, not for financial gain, following the long-forgotten credo held dear by Olympic athletes. The top 25 football coaches take home an average of $5.2 million, while the top 25 basketball coaches bring in $3.2 million. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Before we dive into the debate over paying student-athletes, let's be clear about the NCAA's position. Last modified on January 21, 2022. On June 28, 2021, the NCAA Division I Council recommended to the NCAA Division I Board of Directors that student athletes be allowed to profit from their name, image, and likeness. Managing Editor Sometimes, theres hungry nights where Im not able to eat, but I still gotta play up to my capabilities.. Is it unfair? Paying players would destroy that illusion, the N.C.A.A. Similarly, will compensation take into account talent? That's why some colleges, such as the University of Southern California and Stanford University, opposed the bill. Paying student-athletes would help eliminate the need for these student-athletes to take out loans, burden their families for monetary support, or add employment to their already busy schedules. Funding the student-athletes would be a massive shift in budget distribution. NCAA is a non-profit organization. The NCAA keept players in poverty and denied them ways to earn money, while making millions on their performance. He writes about the future of work and higher education, student political activism, and expanding educational opportunities. When college scholarships are non-existent, student-athletes may prefer to play simply because of the pay that comes with it. What about earning good grades and positioning oneself for the competitive job market? 4. Furthermore, only two major sports (basketball and football) are making significant amounts of money some dont generate any or are purely just expenses. If these rules are This money is used to finance a variety of paid positions that support athletics at colleges and universities, including administrators, directors, coaches, and staff, along with other employment less directly tied to sports, such as those in marketing and media. Athletic competition nationwide would suffer as a result. Not So Much. These also happen to be the highest revenue-generating sports in college athletics. This would also help keep top talents playing for college teams, improve the level of competition, and potentially lead to even higher revenue. As it stands, NCAA athletes are allowed to receive scholarships that cover their college tuition and Allowing them to get paid will give them a chance to combat poverty. ], ProCon.org, "Paying College Athletes Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Paying College Athletes Top 3 Pros and Cons. The NCAA is not above the law.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Nathan Brunner is a labor market expert. There are a lot of great reasons why college athletes should be paid, but there are also some compelling reasons why college athletes should not be paidand why not paying athletes is actually good for both the institutions and athletes. From a students point of view, paying college athletes will alter their college experience. According to the NCAA, over 150,000 Division I and Division II student-athletes receive $2.9 billion in scholarships each year (Division III schools don't offer athletic scholarships). A likely scenario would involve universities cutting minor sports to pay athletes competing in the marquee sports. Its not just the time commitment that playing college athletics puts on student-athletes, its the risk to their health. Exactly who gets paid and how much? 3, 2021), NCAA, NCAA Defends Scholarships for College Athletes, ncaaorg (accessed Mar. WebAnd of course, right now, college athletes can't be paid for playing their sport. The Department of Education reported that college athletic programs collected $14 billion in total revenue in 2019, up from $4 billion in 2003. The Fair Pay to Play Act would enable athletes at California schools earning more than $10 million in annual media revenue to make money from their likenesses and hire agents without losing eligibility. While the Court's decision doesn't necessarily permit colleges to pay athletes salaries, it does allow them to compensate students for "education-related benefits" including paid internships, study abroad programs, tutoring computers, equipment, and graduate scholarships. WebShould College Athletes Be Paid? Just 1.6% of college football players will take an NFL field. Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, stated, traditions alone cannot justify the NCAAs decision to build a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated. It also raised an important question: Should Williamson ever suit up for another college game? WebCollege athletes are often valued at more than $1 million, but they (and their families) frequently live below the poverty line. The only people not receiving a paycheck are the stars of the show: the athletes. ", ProCon.org. On June 30, 2021, fewer than 12 hours before some states NIL laws went into effect, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors issued an interim ruling stating that Bylaw 12 (the rules that say athletes cannot receive payment) will not be enforced. This argument holds true especially for football and basketball players, This article was published on January 21, 2022, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Others will mimic as they try to keep up but eventually will fall short in trying to outbid Auburn University, Florida State, the University of Southern California or the University of Texas in the college player arms race. [33], The reality is that the vast majority of college athletes will never play professionally. [27], About 25% of Division I athletes reported food poverty in the past year and almost 14% reported being homeless in the past year. But the state was quickly followed by more states. In Business Insider last week, there was an article that stated, It is estimated that the University of Louisville has the most valuable players at $1.72 million per year based on the programs $45.6 million in annual revenue. Aaron M. Sprecher/AP. 2. A New York Times study found a 0.20-point difference in average GPA between recruited male athletes and non-athletes. Even if a student receives a full-ride scholarship, the award doesn't provide pocket money for incidentals and entertainment. 3. A handful of big Athletes may never go to class Lets face it, if they give these kids money, theyll never have any incentive to go to class. Mandatory pay would either reduce the budget for other departments of the university or reduce the number of student-athletes. Do you think well-established minor-league systems would be attractive to high-school graduates and college athletes less interested in (or ill-prepared for) higher education? WebPro According to N.C.A.A. For example, a student athlete will be compensated for the sale of a jersey featuring their name, or for a sponsorship deal in which they appear wearing a UNC jersey. A 2017 NCAA survey revealed that Division I athletes dedicate an average of 35 hours per week to their sport during the season. African Americans make up the majority of college athletes at the top levels in three major sports: mens and womens basketball (Division I) and the upper FBS level of the NCAAs Division I, according to Travis Waltons HuffPost article Black Americans Support Paying College Athletes. Erin McGeoy, a former water polo athlete at George Washington University, explained, a common occurrence was that we would run out of meal money halfway through the semester and thats when I started to run into troubles of food insecurity. She turned to boarding dogs in her no-dogs-allowed apartment in order to pay rent because housing costs increased each year but her housing allowance remained static. Con Scholarships are fair financial compensation Perhaps the earliest group to examine the quandary was Andrew Carnegies Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which produced a mammoth study in 1929 of amateur athletes and the profits they generate for their universities. I feel like a student athlete. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) generates eleven billion dollars annually, some of which could, and should go to college athletes. Respondents were split 50/50 in a June 1, 2021, New York Times survey about whether the NCAA strictly limiting paid compensation is constitutional. 31, 2021 as the NCAA March Madness tournament heads into Final Four games just days later on Apr. A weighty argument against paying college athletes is that not all sports are popular. WebCollege athletes deserve to be paid because they are the only ones not being paid in the college sports industry. Theres an important role for college sports in higher education, and that role needs to be placed in the proper perspective as part of the educational mission, not apart from it. [37]. Football and basketball players cannot play professionally immediately after high school. It would prioritize It does not go to the players, what I call the unpaid workforce. [3], As of Nov. 17, 2020, the University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban was the highest paid NCAA college football coach, making $9.3 million per year. The University of North Carolina became the first school to organize group licensing deals for student athletes in July 2021. One of the most common reasons cited against paying college players is compensation. [36], Amy Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, said of the Gallup findings, Its a positive report for the educational benefits for college sports, and it reinforces the point that weve tried to make over the years. Some argue that if bidding becomes a possibility, then the stronger teams will become even stronger. [34], The major money-makers, football and mens basketball, have very low odds. and shoe companies like Nike are taking advantage of college athletes like Williamson? The issue is that college sports are not just about athletes competing against each other anymore. This argument holds true especially for football and basketball players, who become household names during their respective seasons. A 2017 study found that 91% of former college football players who had died had CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to dementia. Students 13 and older are invited to comment. And spare me the theyre being extorted thing. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. And ever since that 1984 decision, courts have been relying on that language to try to interpret antitrust law applies to all NCAA restrictions, including player compensation., On June 21, 2021, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the NCAA cannot ban certain payments to student athletes under the premise of maintaining amateurism. Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said afterward that Williamson had sustained a knee injury, but that the joint was stable.. Support their families Players would be able to actually afford a decent meal and possibly send some money back home. Everyone, that is, except the players. 19, 2021, Adam Liptak and Alicia Parlapiano, "What the Public Thinks about Major Supreme Court Cases This Term," nytimes.com, June 1, 2021, Business of College Sports, "Tracker: Name, Image and Likeness Legislation by State," businessofcollegesports.com, June 10, 2021, Adam Liptak, "Supreme Court Backs Payments to Student-Athletes," nytimes.com, July 21, 2021, Alan Blinder, "College Players May Make Money Off Their Fame, Powerful N.C.A.A. Athletes deserve to be paid for playing their sport expanding educational opportunities here are both sides of the of! Prefer to play at a competitive level destroy that illusion, the major money-makers, football and mens basketball have... Because there is a fear that resources will only go to popular, revenue-generating sports argue that if becomes. 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