#SHOULD COLLEGE ATHLETES BE PAID PROFESSIONAL#

One of the current problems is that athletes spend so much time on their sport that they do not have time to get a job and earn money for food and other necessities like most other students do. When all athletes, no matter the sport, are working equally hard, it’s unfair for some to be paid more than others. It would not be right to overpay athletes if it meant charging more for students who go to college for solely academic purposes.Īt the same time, however, giving college athletes money based on how much money their sport gives the college would leave unpopular sports with underpaid athletes when compared to athletes of more popular sports. On one hand, giving student athletes large sums of money would just increase tuition costs for regular students. This is just one of many times that colleges have made it easier for their athletes to pass the GPA requirements.Įven when considering the grade issue, the money issue is still more widely discussed. Despite the NCAA requiring athletes to have a minimum of a 2.3 GPA to play, it is very easy to find loopholes.Ī prominent example of one of these loopholes being used to get around the GPA requirement is shown in the UNC football case in which former athlete Mike McAdoo sued UNC because they put athletes in classes that never met so they could automatically get past the GPA requirement. It is not right for colleges to expect college athletes to put in the amount of work they do and make schools the amount of money they do, and still not get acknowledged by receiving something in return.Īnother problem that colleges face is whether or not certain class requirements should be met in order for athletes to be allowed to play. They are expected to work hard for their sports, leaving little time to work or study. This inconsistency between college sports regulations raises concerns about the treatment of college athletes.

Others barely have their basic necessities covered by their scholarships, and are still forced to follow strict academic restrictions and dedicate hours of each day to practices. Many getany get scholarships that sometimes cover tuition, housing, food and even school supplies.

Colleges have no problem with providing a weight room, filled with expensive equipment, for athletes to train, and yet they often deny them the proper nutrition they need to get the most out of the weight room.īut that’s not to say that student-athletes are treated poorly. Adequate food should be provided by the college they play for. The food he was given did not match the amount of money he earned for his school, the University of Connecticut.Īthletes depend on healthy bodies, and therefore must get enough food to keep up with the more rigorous exercise. In an extreme case, reported by Fox Sports in 2014, current Miami Heat point guard Shabazz Napier said that his team had “hungry nights” where they “did not have enough money to get food in” when he played in college. However, even college athletes in more popular sports like basketball and football are not treated perfectly. This makes it difficult to pay all athletes money, since basketball and football players would be supporting the pay of athletes and never be paid what they’re truly worth. Most other sports actually cost colleges money. Basketball and football are the only sports that actually earn serious cash. There is no in between.Ī gray area exists because of how much money certain sports make. The problem with solving this exploitation is that there are two extremes: not paying athletes at all or giving them large salaries. Colleges have convinced their athletes that it is their duty to play for them, rather than a job that they get paid for. However, they find no problem with not giving any money back to them. The judge ruled against the NCAA.Ĭlearly, colleges are willing to get every last dime out of their athletes.

#SHOULD COLLEGE ATHLETES BE PAID PROFESSIONAL#

The NCAA responded to this by stating that college sports are amateur sports, not professional sports where the athletes are paid. The lawsuit essentially demands for the student athletes to be paid for being in the commercial. Ex-college athlete Ed O’Bannon filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing for using student athletes in advertisements to promote themselves in 2009.Įx-college athlete Ed O’Bannon filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing for using student athletes in advertisements to promote themselves in 2009.

Should college athletes be paid