| For quite some time now, there has been a big debate | | | | a piece of the pie too? This isn't to say that college |
| about whether or not college athletes should be paid. | | | | athletes should get paid large amounts of money, but it |
| Some people believe that a scholarship should be | | | | would definitely be nice if their scholarships would pay |
| payment enough. After all, a scholarship can be easily | | | | them a little extra to go out for pizza every once and |
| worth $15,000 - $25,000 or more per year, plus a | | | | a while, or buy some nice clothes - just a little extra |
| career after college that can be worth a million dollars | | | | spending cash as a way of saying |
| over a lifetime. Additionally, student athletes receive all | | | | “thanks” for their efforts. |
| kinds of perks while they are in college, like staying at | | | | If for some reason college athletes could be paid, that |
| fancy hotels, being seen on national tv, and all of the | | | | opens up a whole new can of worms. All of the |
| notoriety that goes with being a stare athlete. Its hard | | | | athletes on a football team with 125 players work very |
| to put a price tag on all of that. | | | | hard in practice, but only 11can start on offense and |
| However, considering the fact that certain college | | | | defense - do you only pay the starters?. Additionally, if |
| sports generate millions of dollars for college athletic | | | | you were to pay more to the star quarterback than |
| programs, many people believe the athletes are being | | | | you do for an "ok" receiver, you are going |
| used. If the average football scholarship is worth | | | | to run into a lot of other problems. Having said this, the |
| $20,000 per year, yet the university gains $70,000 per | | | | first thing you want to avoid with paying college |
| year in revenue per scholarship player (please note | | | | athletes is student athletes squabbling how much |
| that this figure is just an estimate - the actual number | | | | money they earn or should earn, which happens |
| may actually be higher), the university will profit $50,000 | | | | frequently in the NFL. |
| per year, per scholarship player, or $200,000 over a | | | | The second thing you want to avoid is an uneven |
| four year period. | | | | playing field. While some colleges at the division I level |
| It is very difficult to put a numeric value on exactly | | | | could afford to pay athletes, many simply don't bring in |
| how much an athlete is worth to a college. A star | | | | enough revenue. If a student athlete knows he can |
| quarterback will not only help sell tickets, but will bring in | | | | earn more at USC than he will if he plays for his state |
| plenty of merchandise sales as well. The NCCA won't | | | | university, then the playing field becomes more uneven |
| allow the universities to sell a college football jersey | | | | than it already is. Athletes would almost always |
| with a player's name on it, but they will sell the jersey | | | | choose the "money schools" over other |
| with the player's number on it, which is easily | | | | colleges. Technically, this happens today more than |
| recognizable in local, and sometimes national markets. | | | | people realize, because colleges with the most tradition, |
| The major colleges earn enormous sums of money on | | | | best coaches, and the best records are usually the |
| this kind of merchandise alone, yet the student athlete | | | | colleges with the most money…but, if one college |
| who's number is being used to sell merchandise will not | | | | could afford to pay more to athletes than other |
| see one dime of the profits. To say that the student | | | | colleges, the playing field would be even more uneven. |
| athlete isn't being exploited in this situation is an | | | | If you are going to start paying athletes, all of the |
| understatement. | | | | athletes need to be paid the same amount of money, |
| It goes way beyond that. College athletic programs | | | | and all of the colleges would need to have the same |
| rake in millions from television and advertising contracts. | | | | amount of money to pay their athletes with, which |
| They also bring in millions of dollars of donations from | | | | could be pre-determined by the NCAA. Even if this |
| sports boosters. Yes, salaries need to be paid to | | | | amount was a small amount like $1,000 PER YEAR, |
| athletic directors and coaches, not to mention travel | | | | per player (which totals ($125,000 per year for a |
| and other costs for the student athletes, and it is great | | | | college football team with 125 players), paid every |
| that major college football and basketball programs | | | | month during the school year, it would be a lot more |
| help fund non-revenue athletic programs. However, the | | | | fair to the student athletes...and most colleges at the |
| fact of the matter is that, compared to the amount of | | | | Division I level could certainly afford it. For the few |
| revenue that student athletes generate for their | | | | colleges that couldn't afford it, the NCAA could always |
| colleges, what they receive in return is very small. | | | | put up the extra money out of the millions it generates |
| Here's where it gets really interesting. An athlete can | | | | from the bowl game. Another alternative would be to |
| be "disciplined" for selling their tickets to a | | | | cut the salaries of every executive of the NCAA who |
| fan on game day, yet how much money do the | | | | has gotten rich off of NCAA athletics by 25%– |
| directors of the NCAA earn as a result of the efforts | | | | and give the difference to the athletes… |
| of the student athletes? The reality is that the college | | | | Most of this article focused on college football |
| athletes quite literally pay for a large portion of the | | | | programs. The revenues that are generated from |
| salaries of every person employed by the NCAA. If an | | | | basketball programs are even more staggering, |
| executive from the NCAA is able to drive a | | | | considering that the teams, are smaller, the travel |
| Mercedes, he can thank a star quarterback or running | | | | expenses are less expensive, and that fewer |
| back for that, and perhaps even several walk ons. | | | | scholarships need to be handed out, making the profits |
| So here is the point: if the NCAA, coaches, and athletic | | | | that the NCAA earns from college basketball |
| directors can earn huge sums of money from the | | | | programs even more staggering. |
| student athletes, shouldn’t student athletes have | | | | |
