I am interested in this research question because I am a Division 1 Power Five Conference college athlete. Any change or decision that is made about paying the athletes affects me, and my financial situation, personally. The money is currently not only useful to me for my basic wants and needs, but also in starting to learn how to manage money. I cannot get a job because of the time commitment that comes with playing a college sport and gaining an income can allow me to begin a financial profile. My personal experience with this is my first check that I obtained from being an athlete. The check gave me money of my own to spend on food and other items that I want. I also understand how much time it takes to play sports and how difficult it is to find time to make money. I am qualified to write about this because I am going to be getting the checks and I understand the money that I am getting.

The first article argues that college athletes should not get paid. The main argument is that free college tuition, leaving college without any debt, and a degree are enough compensation for an athlete. The argument continues to say that many people would work hard to have a free education and would take on the schedule of an athlete. The article looks at the NCAA as a big business that has done well and generates $989 million in revenue because of good business strategies. Also different sports generate different amounts of money so the argument would be who to pay and how much. This article has somewhat of a bias because the author was not a college athlete and looks at it from a perspective of someone who did not go through it. The author has been a sports writer and journalist for years. He has a sports column in the Daily Local News and Business Development Representative at CRM manager. The sports background makes him credible to write about sports and business allows him to understand the NCAA as a business. As a journalist, though, he is not directly in the sports business and would rely on research and others' account for the information.

The second article touches on the argument of college athletes getting paid in more of a business and financial way. The amateurism of college athletics is a big controversy and allowing schools to pay their athletes gets rid of not only the unendorsed status of the athletes, but also the equal competition the business provides. Having the colleges governed by an overlooking body creates equal opportunity between the conference and schools. This also states that the NCAA makes $872 million. This money goes to schools and conferences, but not to any of the players who are the reasons why the money is made. This is close to an unbiased article. The author states both sides of the argument and gives more facts about the situation. It does make note that the athletes are starting to get paid now, but does not favor either side. The author is a journalist that specializes in sports. The author uses a factual based argument so the argument is more credible and the ethos and logos are stronger, even though the author is a journalist and not someone directly involved in the NCAA delegations.

The last article argues that college athletes should get paid because of the health issues and concerns that come with the everyday job of being an athlete. Even though the athletes get scholarships and a free education, which are great benefits, the long lasting health issues and everyday possibility of a career ending injury are prevalent. Also, injuries and incidents can occur and because college football is a big business that can leave a player in a difficult situation possibly. Brian Frederick is a Board Member of Sports Fans Coalition and is also a professor at Georgetown University's Sports Industry Management Program. He understands sports and what goes into the events. This article is argumentative and creates a bias on the side of paying college athletes.

My research question is arguable because some people believe that college athletes should not be paid. Some agreements to my argument are that college athletes do not have time to get jobs so they do not have opportunities to obtain an income. Another agreement is that athletes generate so much money for their school, their conference, and the NCAA so they deserve their share especially with the toll it takes on a college athletes body. The different perceptions do not affect my perception, but they open me up to understanding the counter argument. This counter argument can be about the scholarship and meal plan compensation athletes get. This can also be about the amateurism and fairness of college athletics. These are both understandable arguments, but the pros outweigh the cons of paying college athletes and athletes work very hard at what they do for very little pay. I might need to revise my research question by limiting it to strictly football because of the money it generates. 

Source 1. The average debt is $32,528. That is an enormous burden for kids who may, or may not have a job awaiting them upon graduation.

McCauley, Kieran. "College Athletes Shouldn't Be Paid." College Athletes Shouldn't Be Paid. Daily Local News, 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 04 Feb. 2016.

Source 2. the NCAA's dominant conferences agreed to start paying their players the difference between what they receive in scholarships and what it actually costs to attend a school, one of the goals in both cases.

Henry, Ray. "NCAA Sports: To Pay, or Not to Pay Student Athletes - The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram.". 22 Aug. 2015. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

Source 3. If a student-athlete is hurt or unsuccessful, the coaches and administrators suddenly discard the noble ideals of "education" and a player is left with nothing.

College athletics are just as much of a big business as professional sports -- it's just that the money goes into the pockets of coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners and sports media executives.

Frederick, Brian. "Fans Must Understand That College Sports is Big Business" Debate Club. USNEWS, 1 Apr. 2013. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.

Rough Draft

College football is viewed by millions of people every Saturday of every fall. The glamor and fame that some of these student athletes is outstanding, but most people only see the easy part, which is the game. These athletes still go to class like every other student in the university, while having to workout everyday, learn plays, and stay healthy. The competition level is so high that doing only these activities is often not enough to earn playing time. These are all already extremely time consuming, but extra work, increased conditioning, long meetings, and difficult practices make the life even busier. This allows athletes to not only have no time to get a job, but is also very physically and mentally tasking. College football players should be paid because they do not have the time to obtain income, they generate extreme amounts of money from their abilities, and the game potentially takes a lifelong toll on their body.

College football players have a very busy schedule that does not allow for a job or a way to make money. Practices and workouts are additional activities on top of class and homework that the athletes need to go to. This limits the amount of free time the athletes have and does not allow for the flexibility and time that having a job requires. Some critics of paying athletes would say that the athletes are getting a free education, which is worth a lot of money, and the debt for non-scholarship students "is an enormous burden for kids who may, or may not have a job awaiting them upon graduation" (McCauley). While the scholarship is a benefit, the athletes are not getting that for nothing. Not everything the athletes get is paid for so the athletes need some source of money. Basic essentials in a dorm, clothes, food, gas, and many other things cost money. The reason that "the NCAA's dominant conferences agreed to start paying their players the difference between what they receive in scholarships and what it actually costs to attend a school" is because these things cost money and the players need some type of stipend to pay for these things (Henry). While the athletes do not have an opportunity to make money, there are many people making money off of them. 

There are many people that make money off of the abilities and the names of the college athletes. The NCAA, television stations, broadcast stations, college officials, coaches, and many more people make money off of theses athletes. College football dominates Saturdays in the fall just like pro football dominates Sundays. It is not hard to see that "college athletics are just as much of a big business as professional sports -- it's just that the money goes into the pockets of coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners and sports media executives" (Frederick). All of these people deserve pay because that is their job and they have a special skill set that allowed them to be in that position, but it is very similar for the athletes as well. The athletes are where they are and have the opportunity that they have because they have a skill set that makes them desirable to a school. When these players become stars and public icons, they do not obtain any money for their likeness but the people selling jerseys with the athlete's name on the back does and so do all the other people involved with the sports. Seemingly, the only people who do not get paid are the ones who play the sport and make everything else possible. They generate a lot of money, and they also have a risk of getting injured everyday they play football.

Football is not just a contact sport, but it's a collision sport.  At the utmost basic level, the game is to hit the other guy harder that he hits you. In most cases the athletes are on year to year scholarship, and sometimes it is semester to semester. At any time "If a student-athlete is hurt [ ... ], the coaches and administrators (can) suddenly discard the noble ideals of "education" and a player is left with nothing" (Frederick). When a player is on athletic scholarship they are expected to perform and push themselves every day. When working this hard and everyone competing against each other injuries can happen. Sometimes a player gets hurt and just loses a scholarship, but along with that can cause lifelong medical treatment. Like everything else, this causes money and players risking getting hurt for doing what they were asked to come to the school to do deserves compensation that can assist them in the long run.

Athletes give a lot to play college football. They work hard everyday and go through the process of playing a college sport, which is not easy. Nothing in life is free, and when an athlete does not have an opportunity to get a job, they need some type of pay to get through and buy the things they need. They work hard everyday to be as good as they can be and make Saturdays entertaining. Many people get paid for what they do, but the people putting in the most work and the stars of the show do not get payment for it. They are risking their bodies too to generate this money and lifelong injuries and ailments can plague the athletes physically, mentally, and financially. College football players should be paid for everything they do for the sport.

