College sports have been growing rapidly in popularity over the years. The final four and the college football playoffs have caused ratings to increase drastically. Colleges and Universities have been making millions of dollars off of colligate athletes. The colligate athletes come from different backgrounds with only sports in common. Colleges have become more than just a means of education for athletes. Colleges have become a stepping stone for athletes to become professional athletes. A small percentage of colligate athletes actually become professional athletes, therefore a college education is important. College sports brings traditions, pageantry and school pride to the school which makes college sports exhilarating and brings money to the school. Colligate athletes, "collectively generate tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars annually for their schools" and the colligate athletes never see any of this money for themselves (Yankah). It is unfair that student athletes do not receive any of the money the school receives as a result of their athleticism. The athletes dedicate time and effort to their sport and therefore should receive some compensation. So the real question becomes, should the major money making sports in college athletics, football and men's basketball, pay their athletes to participate in the sport?    

Over the years, many universities have found themselves in deep trouble regarding the National Colligate Athletic Association with players taking improper benefits from agents and boosters. When players take more than just an "athletic scholarship -- that is limited to tuition, room, board, books, and fees," it usually does not end well for the players or the school (Sanderson).  Syracuse University a few years ago received hefty sanctions for athletes receiving money, gifts, unauthorized materials and participating in other illegal activities such as voiding drug tests and academic integrity. This lead to suspensions, loss of scholarships and over a hundred and sixty wins being vacated from the legendary coach Jim Boeheim. Another widely known incident regarding players taking improper benefits happened at the Ohio State University. Five players, including star quarterback, Terrelle Pryor, were suspended for the first five games of the season for allegedly receiving free tattoos from a tattoo parlor. It also caused "Ohio State to strip itself of five total football scholarships over the next three years" (Bennett).  In another incident, Georgia's standout wide receiver, AJ Green, sold his game worn jersey causing the NCAA to suspend him for the first half of the season. Over the years, "NCAA athletes are held to what is, essentially, the strictest code of amateurism in sports" (Cohen). All of these incidents could be easily avoided if the NCAA would reward or pay colligate athletes for their performances. To reward colligate athletes in the two major money making sports, football and men's basketball, athletes would be able to have a free market over themselves and to be allowed "to profit off of their image and likeness" just as "virtually any other adult in America is free to do" (Schwartz).

Student athletes come from all different types of backgrounds, some from upper class families and others from low income families. Many of these athletes grew up in poverty and their only chance for a college education is sports. Some "students are so unprepared that academic failure seems inevitable" and a lot of these athletes know nothing more than the sports they play (Yankah). Being able to play college athletics give many athletes a chance to do something with their life by becoming a professional athlete or enabling them to find a well-paying job. A problem with college athletics today is everything either requires money or relates to money. Many athletes do not complete their college education so they may enter in to the professional draft. The potential to make a lot of money as a professional athlete encourages college athletes to become professionls. Due to the physical strain sports have on a person, there are many different circumstances that can cause a player to have a career ending injury. If the player did not finish their college education, then they do not have a degree to fall back on. Also, while the athletes are in college, they still need money to live. Many families cannot afford to give their child money while they are in school. The athletes get scholarships but that does not cover all of their expenses. Many college athletes only receive partial scholarships and the full scholarships do not cover all of the necessities needed to live. Also, it is rare for an athlete to receive a scholarship for all four years of their college education. College sports are demanding and athletes do not have the time to have a second job in order to receive extra money. Student athletes need a means to make money in order to financially support themselves through college.

Colleges, universities and the NCAA are making millions of dollars off of college athletes and their performances. With marketing deals and television contracts, it is unbelievable how much money is being made. The NCAA just reached a "$10.8 billion to be exact -- between the NCAA and CBS/Turner Sports for March Madness between 2011 and 2024," all for a three-week college tournament (Wilborn). The NCAA also reached an agreement with ESPN for Five Hundred Million Dollars over the BCS College football playoffs.  Gate revenue, concessions, and tailgating add even more money to the total revenue. Teams like Alabama can afford to pay Coach Nick Saban Eight Million Dollars a year and Duke can pay Coach Mike Krzyzewski Nine Million Seven Hundred Dollars a year. Even more revenue goes into athletic facilities, treatment rooms, rehabilitation areas, weight rooms and other beneficial complexes. The two main money making sports, football and men's basketball, have become a "multi-million-dollar business that is marketed, packaged and sold in the same manner as other commercial products" (Acain).  Since colleges are making all of this money, student athletes should at least receive some compensation. Then comes the question, should colleges and universities pay their athletes to perform? Yes, they should pay their athletes as they are the hardest workers on campus. Athletes put in hours of work and put their body through physical pain in order to give spectators' enjoyment. Musicians and artist are able to receive scholarships "and [they] still make money off their talent," therefore college athletes should be able to do the same (Reed). 

As much money as it seems that colleges and universities are making off their athletes, they could not realistically pay their athletes. Only a few college teams would be able to afford to pay their athletes. Even if they could afford it, they would barely break even in revenue. Paying athletes would cause the schools to go into debt and even bankruptcy. Teams would have to drop from division one and may have to get rid of athletic programs. Also, it would be unfair to the other nonrevenue making college sports and woman sports. After Title IX, women and men sports have to be treated equally in the college settings. Paying colligate athletes would "also introduce legal uncertainties ranging from the impact on Title IX to questions about workers compensation and unionization" (Cohen). Not only can schools not afford it but it would be nearly impossible to figure out how to fairly pay all the student athletes. The whole idea "paying athletes salaries as universities is impractical" (Reed). The universities themselves cannot afford it and it would be impossible to find a plausible way to pay all the athletes equally and fairly. 

Some people disagree with paying student athletes to participate in colligate athletics. Student athletes are students first and athletes second. Their primary purpose in school is to receive an education and to earn a degree. There are millions of people out there that would love to go to school for free in exchange for playing a college sport. Some colligate athletes just forget "to recognize the value of sports as a part of education" (Yankah). College gymnast and softball players put in years of training and hard work with no aspirations become professionals.  Money should not be an incentive for the athlete. Their education should be their incentive. Also, college sports are pre-amateur, they are not professionals and therefore, they should not get paid. If college athletes want to get paid, they should not go to college and instead go to a development league until they are able to become professionals.  The school will then, not be wasting a college scholarship on a person who does want the benefits of an education. Another plausible solution to this issue is to invest more money into development leagues and pre-professional leagues so more players would join those leagues. The players would be able to make a decent amount of money until they are ready to become professionals. Also, if universities paid student athletes, college sports would not be the same. Athletes would not pick a school based off of its tradition, pageantry or academics but rather what school offered to pay them the most money. It would keep the power houses in sports power houses because no other school could afford to compete with them. The joy and anxiety of national signing day would be ruined and there would be no blindsided decisions on where the top recruits would sign. Rivalry game day would just turn into a regular game. Traditions of colleges and universities would be lost and there would be no pageantry. College sports would change for the worse. 

Many people believe that one of the most admired parts about college sports is the connection between the athletes at the school and the regular students. When it comes down to it, student athletes are just regular students too, whether they are the star quarterback or Heisman trophy winning running back. They walk the same hallways, take the same classes and live on the same campus. The only difference is that they play a sport for the school. Regular students look up to and admire athletes. Athletes with outstanding character and moral are more admiring. But if schools were to pay the student athletes, then this connection would be completely broken. The barrier between regular students and student athletes would widen. The student athletes would no longer be just students but would be employees of the school. The regular students would not look at the athletes the same way with the same admirations. The athletes would flaunt around their money and appear arrogant which would cause them to lose a lot of respect from the other students. 

Another view on this argument is that student athletes should not get paid by universities. Athletes are students, and a lot of them major in a field that there are little to no job opportunities after college. Even if they do graduate and receive a degree, they may not have an opportunity to make a decent income and might as well not have even gone to college. Many student athletes who receive a scholarship choose an easy major so they can focus on their sport in hopes that they will become professionals. However, if they are unable to become professional athletes, they may not have a proper degree to assist them in finding a good job. Many student athletes who do not become professionals are forced to take a minimum waged job that cannot support a decent lifestyle. Chances of becoming a professional athlete are very slim. Only "1.2% of college basketball players" will be drafted by the NBA and slightly higher percent, "1.6% of college football players" will get drafted by the NFL (NCAA.org). The highest professional success rate for a college sport is baseball and that has a rate of "8.6% of college players being drafted" (NCAA.org). Overall the chances of making it as a professional athlete is low which makes "education a vital part of the college athletics experience" (NCAA.org). College athletes should not get paid to receive an education because the education is only going to benefit them in the long run.      

The realistic solution to this argument is to allow players to benefit from their own fame with the use of the Olympic Model. This model went into effect with the Olympics a few years ago. This would allow "student-athletes to profit off of their image and likeness, just like virtually any other adult in America is free to do" (Schwartz). This would work perfect because it would not take any money away from colleges or universities. It would also keep the NCAA from having to divide broadcasting and licensing revenue. It would be a win, not only for the student athletes, but for the schools and the NCAA. This model worked perfect in the Olympics and is bound to work in the college setting.  If the student athlete wants to sign a deal to endorse for a car dealership or receive money for signing autographs or their memorabilia then they should be able too. With the implantation of this model, the athletes would be able to receive money. With the use of the Olympic model, the NCAA would save money. The NCAA would no longer have to use money to investigate violations or allegations towards athletes receiving improper benefits. The solution also complies with Title IX because it opens up the same opportunities for both men and women. The NCAA should begin implementing the Olympic Model.

Over the years, the debate about paying college athletes has been as strong as it ever has. Many people take different sides about whether to pay student athletes or not. The athletes deserve some sort of compensation for all the work and time they put in. It is unrealistic for the schools to pay athletes themselves, but if the NCAA were to introduce the Olympic Model then schools and NCAA would not lose money. The best solution for the controversy is to allow student athletes to profit off of their fame by giving them the free enterprise of their own image.    

 
