WebTwo writers take opposing sides in the debate over paying college athletes Here Are Some Pros and Cons, Should College Athletes Be Paid? Some claim that paying student-athletes will also benefit universities. WebCollege athletes deserve to be paid because they are the only ones not being paid in the college sports industry. WebWhy College Athletes Should Not Be Paid Compensation Conundrum. Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admissionand how to improve them. Its hard to ignore the racist undertones when the financial benefit to these institutions is based on the unpaid work of young Black men. [22], The NCAA requires players to have health insurance but does not pay for that insurance and can refuse to pay medical expenses for sports injuries, some of which can have life-long consequences for the players bodies and career opportunities. Takeaway: Even though paying college athletes a salary would lead to legal issues, it is illegal to limit educational compensation for college athletes. Mark J. Drozdowski, Ed.D., is a senior writer with BestColleges. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Do you think college athletic programs, the N.C.A.A. But as we've discussed, this is seldom the case most athletes only receive partial scholarships. 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. The case, NCAA vs. Alston et al named for former West Virginia University football player Shawne Alston, one of several athletes who initiated the suit centered on student-athletes from Division I men's and women's basketball and FBS football. Takeaway: Paying student-athletes would reduce NCAAs spending on expensive facilities. 5. See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. 2021, the NCAA was composed of [n]early half a million college athletes [who] make up the 19,886 teams that send more than 57,661 participants to compete each year in the NCAAs 90 championships in 24 sports across 3 divisions. [1] [2], The NCAA is seemingly the final authority to decide whether college athletes should be paid to play college sports. Among whites, however, the numbers flip: Just 27% support paying those athletes, while 43% oppose it.. Athletic competition nationwide would suffer as a result. They give out 13 scholarships. A report produced by the NCPA and Drexel University estimated the average annual fair market value of big-time college football and mens basketball players between 2011 and 2015 was $137,357 and $289,031, respectively, and concluded that football players only receive about 17% of their fair market value, while mens basketball players receive approximately 8% of theirs. They insist that college athletes deserve their pay as they are more than just amateur 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. 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. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) generates eleven billion dollars annually, some of which could, and should go to college athletes. This article was published on January 21, 2022, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. Not So Much. These also happen to be the highest revenue-generating sports in college athletics. 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]. College athletes are young and full of enthusiasm and this makes the games very competitive because they play with heart and passion. It also raised an important question: Should Williamson ever suit up for another college game? Despite their expensive sportswear, which comes from their sponsors, they are living a financially difficult life. This was quite a change from polling conducted in 2017, when 60% believed college scholarships were enough compensation for college athletes. ProCon.org. One of the primary arguments against paying student-athletes rests on the assumption that they already receive full college scholarships. On the opposing side, many argue that there are major differences between intercollegiate athletics and professional sports First of all, they should not get paid as very few college players are taking the spotlight. Why Are There Nine Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court? Another argument in favor of paying student-athletes is that these students sacrifice their studies to play at a competitive level. Of the 18,816 male basketball players, 4,181 are draft-eligible and 60 will be drafted, but only 52 will go pro, or a 1.2% chance a college basketball player will play professionally. College athletes are on the verge of being able to make money off their fame as the rules that have governed college sports for more than a century are upended. They dont know how to manage their money, and there wouldnt be anyone their to guide their financial decisions. Wouldnt paying them eliminate a lot of these issues? ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. 23, 2018, Craig Garthwaite, Who Profits from Amateurism? In the first minute of top-ranked Dukes game against its archrival, eighth-ranked North Carolina, Williamson, a 6-fotot-7, 285-pound forward whose game is a blend of quickness and power, pivoted with the ball near the free-throw line. To fix the problem, and separate athletes who are getting an education just because they want to play a sport from those who actually want to go to college, the United States needs a true amateur or minor league that feeds into professional sports. But California was quickly followed by more states. That's just the institutional side of it. Not likely from the school itself. Should all athletes be paid? Of the roughly 1,100 athletic programs governed by the NCAA, only 25 had a net positive revenue in 2019. No Division II or III schools revenue exceeded expenses. Although the odds of a college athlete turning pro are low, the probability of them earning a degree is high, thanks in part to the academic support athletes are given. A New York Times study found a 0.20-point difference in average GPA between recruited male athletes and non-athletes. Essay Example, with Outline Published by gudwriter on November 23, November 23, Here is an essay example on whether college athletes should be paid or not. Similarly, if a team improves its win total by five games in a season, alumni donations go up 28%. Feldman explained, That was a shape-shifting decision that in many ways fundamentally changed economics of college football and college football television. The only people not receiving a paycheck are the stars of the show: the athletes. The Department of Education reported that college athletic programs collected $14 billion in total revenue in 2019, up from $4 billion in 2003. Without them, sponsors would be scarce, and funding for facilities that would benefit the entire student body would be subpar or non-existent. In a unanimous decision issued on June 21, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled the NCAA cannot bar universities from making education-related payments to student-athletes. Explore the NCAA site and think critically about the organization as the governing body of college athletics. In a related Opinion piece, Paying Students to Play Would Ruin College Sports, Cody J. McDavis writes: Paying student-athletes might sound like a fairer way to treat students who generate so much money and attention for their colleges (not to mention the television networks that broadcast their games). The age-old debate over whether college athletes should get paid is still alive and well. A paid student-athlete could be free from financial distress. [32] Discrepancies between mens and womens sports such as the weight room during the 2021 NCAA basketball tournament would only worsen. While this is something admirable, The game airs on ESPN, one of three networks linked to the Big Ten, thanks to a $2.64 billion contract. Not So Much.. Scholarships are fair financial compensation for college athletes, especially considering the precarious finances of athletic departments. Explain your answer. They will lose that hunger and passion that we see in college. A 2011 study published by the National College Players Association (NCPA) found that an overwhelming number of students on full athletics scholarships live below the federal poverty line85% of athletes who live on campus and 86% athletes who live off-campus. Of the 36,011 college baseball players, only 8,002 are eligible to play professionally each year. Takeaway: College is expensive. What about earning good grades and positioning oneself for the competitive job market? Players are awash in Nike gear owing to the apparel giant's $174 million deal with Michigan and $252 million deal with Ohio State. Or would you sit out the rest of the college season and enter the N.B.A. are thriving at the highest levels, all higher percentages than their non-athlete peers. 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. Might some form of financial compensation make this compromise easier to take? [25] [26], The study found that [t]he player-level analysis reveals that the existing limits on player compensation effectively transfers resources away from students who are more likely to be black and more likely to come from poor neighborhoods towards students who are more likely to be white and come from higher-income neighborhoods. [25], College athletes are required to make up the difference between NCAA scholarships and the actual cost of living. If a student doesn't hold a part-time job, where does that money come from (besides their parents)? If these rules are But some are. A 2017 NCAA survey revealed that Division I athletes dedicate an average of 35 hours per week to their sport during the season. Football and basketball players cannot play professionally immediately after high school. Title IX stipulates that colleges must provide equal opportunities for male and female athletes. To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, discussion questions, and ways to take action on the issue of paying college athletes, go to ProCon.org. Schools would not be allowed to pay students and no one could offer compensation for students to attend a particular school. [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. According to CNBC, 60% of NBA players go broke within five years of departing the league and 78% of former NFL players experience financial distress two years after retirement. This is something that has been a growing issue in recent years. Paying student-athletes turns them into professionals and sullies the purity of amateur athletic competition. The NCAA is not above the law.. 1,217 will be draft picks, but only 791 will be drafted yearly, meaning about 9.9% of college baseball players will go pro, which is the largest likelihood in NCAA sports. "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. 3. 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. A look at the professional ranks bolsters Cowherds argument about athletes frivolous spending. I dont think you should stretch it out to hundreds of thousands of dollars for playing, because a lot of times guys dont know how to handle themselves with money. Just 1.6% of college football players will take an NFL field. College athletes are often valued at more than $1 million, but they (and their families) frequently live below the poverty line. It would eliminate the line between amateur and professional sports. The main argument against paying college athletes is that this would lead to legal issues threatening collegiate sports integrity. Analyze the argument that paying athletes would ruin college sports from Cody J. McDavis, former college basketball player. 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? WebPro According to N.C.A.A. He walked off the court, and did not return. They argue that athletes receive sufficient education-related benefits and that universities should not pay athletes. Mandatory pay would either reduce the budget for other departments of the university or reduce the number of student-athletes. former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon Jr. sits in his office in Henderson, Nevada. The NCAA is not above the law. [43] [44], 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. 3. In fiscal year 2019, the collective expenses of the 65 Power Five schoolsthe largest and richest Division I schools in the NCAAexceeded revenue by $7 million. For example, in 2009, six ex-University of Toledo players were indicted in a point-shaving scheme, and in 2010, Reggie Bush returned his Heisman Trophy after allegations that he was given hundreds of thousands of dollars from sports agents while he played for USC. 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. 2. Exactly who gets paid and how much? Athletes Shouldn't Be Paid," about the NCAA's decision to allow college A 2014 CNBC article estimated that Andrew Wiggins, a University of Kansas forward (and soon-to-be first-overall draft pick), had a fair market value of around $1.6 million. Allowing them to get paid will give them a chance to combat poverty. Athletes may never go to class Lets face it, if they give these kids money, theyll never have any incentive to go to class. While theNCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) earns billions in revenue, it prohibits athletes from earning a single penny. You dont have to get past the preface to find questions that feel at home in todays world: Many of the questions asked way back in 1929 continue to resurface today, and many of them have eventually ended up seeking answers in court. With March Madness less than a month away, his injury has revived an age-old question: Should college athletes be paid? In Zion Williamsons Injury Has Some Saying He Should Quit Duke, Marc Tracy writes: A freakish injury to Dukes Zion Williamson, college basketballs best and most prominent player, only seconds into a game on Wednesday night has instantaneously renewed a debate about the contradictions of the sports economic foundation, shining a harsh new light on the N.C.A.A.s policy of amateurism and the influence of billion-dollar shoe companies. She lost the case, but future generations would have more success and have slowly whittled away at arguments against paying athletes. Tennis players may earn up to $10,000 in prize money yearly while playing college tennis and college football players may earn up to $550 in bowl gifts. Limits on Paying College Athletes, nytimes.com, Dec. 16, 2020, Dennis Dodd, Breaking Down the NCAA's Forthcoming Supreme Court Battle with Its Big Brother Status and Amateurism at Stake, cbssports.com, Feb. 3, 2021, NCAA, 2021 March Madness: Complete Schedule, Dates, ncaa.org (accessed Mar. College athletes may also play a second sport professionally and be compensated, such as Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker who earned a $1.4 million baseball signing bonus from the Colorado Rockies in 2010 while still playing football for the Tigers. The issue is that college sports are not just about athletes competing against each other anymore. College athletes make their schools millions of dollars, so they should naturally receive a cut of the action. Divisions II and III of the NCAA followed suit and the changes went into effect for all three divisions on July 1, 2021. Sometimes, theres hungry nights where Im not able to eat, but I still gotta play up to my capabilities.. Former ESPN, and current FOX Sports, personality Colin Cowherd made news in 2014 when he voiced a popular argument against paying college athletes: financial irresponsibility. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. California was the first state to pass a NIL (name, image, and likeness) law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Consider the pro position of the National College Players Association that paying college athletes is a civil rights issue. [48], A 2019 Seton Hall Sports Poll found that 60% of those surveyed agreed that college athletes should be allowed compensation for their name, image, and/or likeness, while 32% disagreed, and 8% were unsure. [31], If students were paid, the NCAA argues, many colleges and universities would have to offer fewer scholarships and the remaining scholarships would be distributed unfairly to top football and mens basketball players because those two sports bring in the most revenue. Graduate scholarships would there not be the only remuneration that student-athletes receive. 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. Some say that if it becomes a law to pay all student-athletes, thousands of universities will drop their athletic department simply because they cant afford to pay them. After making billions and billions of dollars for universities, players being compensated is an obvious, fair decision and should have happened a long time ago. 8, 2020, Steve Goldstein, Nine out of 10 New Jobs Are Going to Those with a College Degree, marketwatch.com, June 5, 2018, Gallup, A Study of NCAA Student-Athletes: Undergraduate Experiences and Post-College Outcomes, gallup.com, 2020, Greta Anderson, Study: College Athletes Have Better Academic, Life Outcomes, insiderhighered.com, June 24, 2020, Griffin Connolly, Wealth distribution is bad except when it comes to college athletes' money, top Republican senator suggests, theindependent.co.uk, Sep. 15, 2020, B. David Ridpath, A Path Forward for Reforming College Sports, jamesgmartin.center, Jan. 15, 2020, Molly Hensley-Clancy, NCAA Vows to Improve Conditions at Womens Basketball Tournament, as Outcry Continues, washingtonpost.com, Mar. If you were Williamson, would you continue playing for Duke this season and risk injury? 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