Controversy Over the Pay of College Athletes
Charlie Acri
Throughout months of research my goal was to determine the main reasons why the NCAA is unwilling to pay college athletes for their hard work. Being a college athlete to some is considered a job, as most division 1 athletes are pursuing to play professionally. A majority of college athletes attend college for one specific reason, and that is to play sports. This question has dawned on me for a very long time as I have grown up in a family that always has loved sports. Why are the NCAA and colleges able to make money off of these athletes' hard work? Through much research I have reached a census that college athletes are not paid because college is for education, and there is not enough money for these athletes to be paid.
While researching countless books and websites the most shocking evidence I found was how much money the NCAA makes off of college sports. The NCAA profits hundreds of millions of dollars and the ones making the money are not rewarded. This is what brought my interest to the subject. It is the fact that college athletes are doing so much for their schools but they are not getting anything in return. In the beginning of my research, I thought it was a good idea to pay college athletes but through months of research my opinion changed. I do agree with the NCAA not paying their athletes because realistically education is a very important value and is more than necessary to be successful in todays world. Education for college athletes should be just as much of a focus as sports. Additionally, my attention was brought to how expensive college is and how most college athletes are fortunate enough to receive scholarships so they are not left with lots of student debt like most other college students. This topic is very important in todays society because college sports are a big part of most students lives as it carries many traditions with them. Colleges are proud to directly relate themselves to their sports team, and this controversial topic could have a big impact on the schools if their athletes were to be paid. I am very passionate about this issue which is why I was very eager to being researching. I was most intrigued with the statistics I encountered on how much schools devote resources and money to improving the education of athletes. Many schools invest in tutors and resource centers where athletes are provided help with their homework. Personally this is something I was unaware of; however, after finding this information out, it causes me to think college athletes are provided with so many extraordinary opportunities. Why should they be paid to receive a superior education with significant benefits while other students are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for the same thing?
