
I have decided on the research topic of perceptions on payment of college athletes because it had been such a popular discussion recently. Substantial championship wins for many universities as well as many other factors have had a great effect on the question as to why college athletes are not paid for their efforts. Of course college athletes receive scholarships and are provided with ideally everything they need but most do not take into consideration the toll it takes on the players mentally and emotionally to be a great athlete in todays college sports society. The thought of payment to college athletes for the work they put in to make their universities the best athletic school they could possibly be has been almost out of reach until the debate has arose much more urgently in recent time. Many are thinking about how much dedication is involved in college sports. Lead me to think that these athletes deserve remuneration. I personally have never played college sports, but I played varsity level sports in high school over getting a job to save money for college. I have first hand experienced the missing experience of working for my own money and social aspects of high school to be a part of a team to get titles for my high school so that we could be called the best at my sport. To think of playing sports at a college level and how much they miss out on the least that could be done is payment for their participation and hard work and dedication to the team and the university. This research paper has already strengthened my beliefs in hard work should be paid for seeing these athletes strive for overall greatness in sports and in schoolwork without a personal reward.

One of my secondary sources titled " A Fair Day's Pay for a Fair Day's Work" discusses the different outlooks as to why college athletes should be paid. Author Ramogi Huma a former college athlete and member on board of NCAA, National College Players Association points out the amount of revenue each year college sports teams bring to NCAA and the universities while the athletes don't see a cent of it as he argues "players opportunities are not free" (Ramogi Huma, U.S News). He discusses the money involved with TV broadcast deals and where the large sums of money end up mostly in the university sport facilities rather than on the players and educational matters. He brings up the point that the NCAA relies on these colleges for funding being a great reason to reward the players. This article will help support my argument that the college sports teams make millions of dollars yearly for the university and I believe a share of the money earned should have the players names on it. I don't think it should be a large sum but enough to live on their own from if were to get injured and lose a scholarship.

My second resource written by economic professor Andrew Zimbalist titled " The Cost of Paying Athletes Would Be Too High" throughout this article Zimbalist touches on many economically found reasons why paying college athletes is out of the question. Ziimbalist begins by stating early laws of the NCAA when players were not even guaranteed a scholarship for more than a year of their time on the team no matter what their grade point average is in school. He goes on to later years where many athletes are not paid while their likeness in video games and advertising and as Zimbalist explicates, "not a penny of the licensing income is shared with these player," arguing they did not get paid why should they start now (Andrew Zimbalist, U.S News). These are all fair arguments but in my opinion and many credible sources agree that these are not subsequent arguments preventing college athletes to be paid for time on the field. He later goes on and agrees that possible if most of the money brought in from sporting events were not spend on "unjust enrichment od coaches and administrators" then college athletes could be paid but economically it is just not possible.

An additional source I have come across written by journalist Dave D'Alessandro discusses a lawsuit between Ed O'Bannon a former UCLA college basketball star, prior to loosing his scholarship due to a reoccurring knee injury, versus the governing body of collegiate athletics. A 17-year-old O'Bannon "signed his life away" to all legal rights on and off the field (Dave D'Alessandro, True Jersey).  D'Alessandro includes interview content with O'Bannon explaining how a 17-year-old doesn't understand the documents he is signing without legal representation, "you just want to play ball- that's where my mind-set was" O'Bannon explains (Dave D'Alessandro, True Jersey).  Throughout the article it is discussed the hefty revenue earned through the talents of these college athletes without compensations. The author states "the NCAA is a $6 billion annual business with a largely unpaid labor force" demonstrating that these athletes have a great opportunity to be paid for their work based on the amount of money earned by the NCAA, the universities, and TV broadcast companies. Since the players signed to play on these sports teams they have no legal rights to the money they are entitled to (Dave D'Alessandro, True Jersey). The point I will be making through this secondary source is the experience an actual former college athlete had during the time of the court and the steps he is taking to get justice for the work he did for the university and the NCAA, and the legal rights to payment for not only payment for play time but later advertisements and TV involvement.  

The topic of payment for college athletes is an arguable question because of the many ethical, legal, and economical aspects of why college athletes should or should not be paid. I find it seemingly easy to argue either side with supporting evidence to the particular argument. Some of these points rule greater and more feasible than others. Throughout the sources I have found to support my position of payment of college athletes I have found many more supporting evidence rather than opposing evidence as to why college athletes should not be paid. One source that argues to not pay athletes has economical support that it may not be an easy process, I see otherwise. Based on the fanciful great amount of money earned from championship wins and endorsements it can be managed to distribute a monthly or even yearly compensation for their participation on the college sports teams. Many of the other sources I have found I have been in great agreement with the evidence that college athletes should be paid. These sources help justify the points I plan to make in my research paper regarding the topic. I am considering revising my research question to point out that college athletes should be paid and using opposing opinions to help support my ideas.

