Overall, the average Division I player is worth $170,098 per year with the 351 Division I basketball programs taking in more than 4.5 million in revenue on average each year. These athletes are bringing in incredible amounts of revenue to these schools why arent they receiving what is due? [1] As of Mar. 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. 1. 20, 2020, Christian Dennie, Governor of Nebraska Signs Name, Image, and Likeness Bill into Law, bgsfirm.com, Aug. 28, 2020, Gregg E. Clifton, UPDATE: Michigan Joins Growing Number of States Granting Name, Image, Likeness Rights to Collegiate Student-Athletes, natlawreview.com, Jan. 1, 2021, Suzette Parmley, Murphy Signs Bill Paying NJ College Athletes and Allowing Them to Hire Attorneys/Agents, law.com, Sep. 14, 2020, Student Player, studentplayer.com (accessed on Mar. Its regulations state, "You are not eligible for participation in a sport if you have ever taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in that sport [or] used your athletics skill for pay in any form in that sport. I mean the bottom line is, isnt this what they deserve for their labor? Students 13 and older are invited to comment. 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. Furthermore, it could also be a significant driving factor for them not to misuse their money. I have gathered the weightiest arguments and an in-depth analysis of their validity. [11], Additionally, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear a case (National Collegiate Athletic Association v. Shawne Alston, et al.) ], ProCon.org, "Paying College Athletes Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Paying College Athletes Top 3 Pros and Cons. 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. To the truly jaded, this is a blatant form of exploitation. Aaron M. Sprecher/AP. The vast sums earned from football and basketball subsidize all other sports on campus. What possible difficulties or downsides might there be in providing monetary compensation to players? 2. Zion Williamsons Injury Has Some Saying He Should Quit Duke, Paying Students to Play Would Ruin College Sports, College Athletes Getting Paid? Rules," nytimes.com, June 30, 2021, Becky Sullivan, "UNC Becomes the First School to Organize Group Endorsement Deals for Its Players," npr.org, July 21, 2021, Josh Moody, "Lack of Clear-Cut NCAA Rules Creates Confusion about NIL," insidehighered.com, Jan. 4, 2022. 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. What determines how much each player should earn? He is a mathematician who graduated from EPFL. Many former collegiate players were compensated, but some felt it was inadequate and they were owed more. The same 60% now agree that college athletes need monetary compensation. Paying college athletes will likely not totally eliminate corruption from college sports, but putting athletes in a less-precarious financial position would be a good step toward avoiding external influence, especially when you consider some of the players involved in the University of Toledo point-shaving scandal were paid as little as $500. [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. Players are awash in Nike gear owing to the apparel giant's $174 million deal with Michigan and $252 million deal with Ohio State. TheNCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)is a nonprofit organization formed in 1906 that regulates college athletics, including game rules, athlete eligibility, and college tournaments. Explain your answer(s). Introduced in February by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the bill promises to be one of the most expansive yet in terms of getting college athletes officially recognized as employees. Sometimes, theres hungry nights where Im not able to eat, but I still gotta play up to my capabilities.. Find The Perfect Job: 201,546 College Student Jobs Are Available on Salarship. He has 30 years of experience in higher education as a university administrator and faculty member and teaches writing at Johns Hopkins University. So while a few athletes would benefit financially, a greater number of students would see their athletic opportunities disappear. Folks in California think so. [38] These rules can effectively limit players options to playing in college or choosing another profession altogether. This is something that has been a growing issue in recent years. Full athletic scholarships are only guaranteed a year at a time, meaning student-athletes are one catastrophic injury away from potentially losing their scholarship. Sports' considerable time commitment cuts into students' study time. 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. Before we dive into the debate over paying student-athletes, let's be clear about the NCAA's position. Its just not less-popular sports that paying athletes could threatenwomens programs could also find themselves in the crosshairs of budget-conscious administrators. 3. [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. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Some argue that paying student-athletes will make way for a more transparent usage of NCAAs revenue. It is no surprise that doing sports consumes a solid number of things. Scholarships are fair financial compensation for college athletes, especially considering the precarious finances of athletic departments. 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. [23]. Have you heard of the salary controversy regarding college athletes? 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. 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. If you need to flag this entry as abusive. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. [25] [26], If college players earned about 50% of their teams revenues like the NFL and NBA players do, the average football players yearly salary would be $360,000 and the average basketball players yearly salary would be $500,000. Schools would also have to cut unprofitable sports including gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. The Duke star Zion Williamson sprained his right knee when his Nike shoe broke apart in the first minute of a game on Wednesday. 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.. 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. Whats the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom? If so, how? But California was quickly followed by more states. Wake up to the day's most important news. And under ordinary principles of antitrust law, it is not evident why college sports should be any different. A testament to the disparate allocation of funds generated by college sports, of the $18.9 billion in athletics revenue in 2019, $3.6 billion went toward financial aid for student-athletes, and $3.7 billion was used for coaches compensation. 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. Takeaway: Many college athletes are in need of financial benefits. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken), Black Americans Support Paying College Athletes. 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]. On a side note, this would incentivize athletes to complete their degree, making them more employable after the end of their athletic career. Divisions II and III of the NCAA followed suit and the changes went into effect for all three divisions on July 1, 2021. The reason why student athletes are not 2. 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. Adding insult to sometimes literal injury, college athletes are also frequently denied the NCAAs other form of compensation: a quality education. 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? The NCAA keept players in poverty and denied them ways to earn money, while making millions on their performance. Programs like football and mens basketball would likely benefit greatly, but smaller, unprofitable sports such as gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling could find themselves at best cash-strapped and, at the worst, cut altogether. Schools would not be allowed to pay students and no one could offer compensation for students to attend a particular school. Find out more information about athletic scholarships. Per N.C.A.A. Huma cited the example of a top football player who found himself with a more serious injury a few years ago; that player elected to end his college career prematurely, to limit the risk to his professional payday. In 2018, NCAA president Mark Emmert was paid more than $2.7 million. Among whites, however, the numbers flip: Just 27% support paying those athletes, while 43% oppose it.. That means athletes who are exceptionally skilled at not-so-popular sports, such as swimming and softball, would not be given a chance to complete their studies through sponsorship and scholarship programs by the NCAA. Not just a regular issue at that, but a structurally racial issue on many levels. In contrast, the likelihood of an NCAA athlete earning a college degree is significantly greater; graduation success rates are 86% in Division I, 71% in Division II and 87% in Division III. [34]. Con Scholarships are fair financial compensation The economics of a paid-athlete system is messy at best. Athletes may never go to class Lets face it, if they give these kids money, theyll never have any incentive to go to class. 81 other head football coaches made more than $1 million annually and another 29 more than $500,000. Support their families Players would be able to actually afford a decent meal and possibly send some money back home. Scores of college athletes are being used to generate money for NCAA sports in a pandemic without the NCAA enforcing any COVID standards. [17], The NCAA reported over $1.06 billion in revenue in 2017 (the most recent available numbers). Not necessarily but a school would be required to ensure that female athletes receive proportionate opportunities for scholarships. Everyone, that is, except the players. In what's called "head count" sports i.e., Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) football and Division I basketball for men, and Division I basketball, tennis, volleyball, and gymnastics for women students receive full athletic scholarships covering tuition and fees, room and board, and books. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free. [27], About 25% of Division I athletes reported food poverty in the past year and almost 14% reported being homeless in the past year. Here Are Some Pros and Cons HuffPost, Should College Athletes Be Paid? If the bill passes, the law will go into effect on January 1, 2023. But some are. And under ordinary principles of antitrust law, it is not evident why college sports should be any different. 5. Very few college athletes will go pro, so athletes should take advantage of the education being offered in exchange for playing a college sport. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? 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. As mentioned before, college athletes can put in upward of 40 hours a week practicing, training, and competingbeing a student-athlete is a challenge when youre devoting full-time hours to athletics. 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