As many may know, college is an eye-opening experience that impacts every student differently. College is a place where students are given the ability to explore a variety of topics they may be interested in. Choosing the college route gives students the opportunity to expand their knowledge on a collegiate level, while deciding on a potential career. Although it is necessary to get good grades in college, there are many other opportunities college offers to students. Some of these options include participating in clubs, playing on a sports team, or even joining a sorority or fraternity. Any student engaging in extracurricular activities will have a busy schedule, but playing a sport is a completely different college experience. 

Being a student-athlete isn’t something all students are capable of doing. Playing a sport in college takes a great deal of determination, hard work, and time management skills. In order to remain on a team, a student must get above a 2.0 grade point average. Even though receiving a 2.0 grade point average may sound easy to the average college student, college athletes have many more responsibilities than just maintaining an acceptable gpa. On top of getting an education, student-athletes dedicate a majority of their time to their sport which can be physically and mentally draining. This can make it difficult for a student-athlete to have the proper amount of time needed to study, work on homework, and complete other school assignments. Since playing a sport in college is such an intricate task, a recurring debate is whether or not student-athletes should get paid. While many believe they should not, what they do not acknowledge is the amount of money student-athletes produce, the time and energy put forth into their sport, and the potential life-long injuries they can endure.

One main reason why student-athletes should get paid is due to the substantial amount of revenue they generate for the college or university they represent. The revenue earned includes “hundreds of thousands of dollars, increased enrollment, and if they do well, a recruiting piece for generations” (Hartnett). Even though there are a variety of sources of revenue available to colleges and universities, sporting events can be considered a major one. Sporting events receive huge followings, but the games would not be possible without the players. It is the athletes who produce the games people thrive to see. In order to watch a game, the fans are required to pay an admissions fee, which can range between $5-500 depending upon the type of game. For instance, a championship game will have a costlier admissions fee than a regular season game. Division I colleges can have thousands of attendees at each game, which brings forth a lot of revenue made by a college or university. On top of receiving money from admission fees, many college sport games are broadcasted on television, such as, CBS, truTv, TBS, ESPN, etc. When college games are being broadcasted, the National Collegiate Athletic Association earns money for every game played on the particular stations they have contracts with. The NCAA is currently in “violation of antitrust laws,” making individuals around the world doubt if the money made is dispersed properly (Nocera). The NCAA currently produces nearly “$11 billion in annual revenue from college sports” (Edelman). A majority of this revenue made by the NCAA is from the advertisements shown throughout the games. During last year's 2016 basketball championship “$1.13 billion in ads were sold,” but where exactly did this money go (Peebles)? Advertisements and admission fees only contribute to a small percentage of revenue made by colleges and universities. Sports gear and concession stands earn colleges a great deal of money as well. Without the student-athletes participating in games, concession stands and sports gear would not be necessary. If the players perform well, fans will show their school spirit through t-shirts, flags, hats, cups, etc. representing their particular school. When sportswear is purchased, the amount of money received is profited by the school. Since colleges also have expenses they need to pay, the money earned from admissions fees, advertisements, concession stands, and sportswear goes towards the money owed by the school. Some of the expenses include equipment, travel fees, paying the staff, etc. Although colleges and universities have an immense amount of expenses, their revenue exceeds the expenses. Since colleges earn more money than they owe, a portion of this amount can go towards paying student-athletes for making this profited money possible.

Another reason student-athletes should get paid is for the time they dedicate towards their sport. A typical day for a student-athlete includes “conditioning, classes, practice, mandatory study hall, and homework” (Hartnett). Student-athletes spend most of their time training, practicing, and playing games for their sport. Playing a college sport is “a full-time job.” The typical Division I college athlete “devotes 43.3 hours per week to their sport” (Edelman). 43.3 hours is considered to be a little over three hours of overtime for the typical American work week. Aside from practicing for game day, student-athletes have to cram in classes and school work as well. Playing a sport often times requires athletes to miss specific classes based upon what time the game is and where the game is located. Within the past few years, many games “may require student-athletes to miss up to a quarter of all class days during a semester” (Edelman). Any commitment requiring a student to miss days in class should be treated and looked at as a job. It is very common for an individual's plans to get messed up when they have a job. Many job schedules are planned weekly which can ruin a person's plans they may have made weeks in advance. When this happens, they must cancel their original plans if they want to be a responsible individual. The same concept goes for student-athletes. Many of times playoff games, canceled games, and make-up games can be scheduled with little to no notice. With that being said, games require student-athletes to miss class days which may have been important exam days already planned. Any student who is required to miss out on classes should be compensated for being responsible and participating on game days. Not only do they have to apologize to their professor, but they will have to reschedule the next available time to take their exam. Having to treat a sport as if it is a job can be exhausting, so paying student-athletes should be mandatory. 

Lastly, student-athletes should get paid for the potential life-long injuries they can endure. When a student plays a sport they are risking injuries, which can result in financial struggles in the future. Playing a sport can be very dangerous and some of the injuries players encounter cannot be avoided. Students must sign a contract in the beginning of every year to play a sport. What the contract states is how the student is responsible for any injuries they may endure when playing a particular sport in college. Although there are insurance plans athletes can invest in, not all injury expenses are covered. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is one organization that “is not required to pay for their student-athlete’s medical expenses” (Dixon). The only exception is if a “treatment for an injury exceeds $90,000” (Dixon). If this happens the NCAA will cover the remaining injury expenses after $90,000 is paid. Paying for medical expenses is one thing, but there are other financial disadvantages when a student-athlete gets injured. Most students playing a sport at a Division I college receive some type of athletic scholarship. Playing at a Division I college can be very costly so receiving a scholarship can help with tuition expenses. Some students are swayed towards a certain college based upon the amount of scholarship money they receive, but this can all be ruined in the blink of an eye. If an athlete gets injured, making them ineligible to play, “they could lose their scholarships at the end of the year, and end up paying out of pocket for medical treatment” (Dixon). After having to pay medical expenses and losing scholarship money, student-athletes futures are on the line. If an athlete gets chosen to play for a Division I college or university, they have a greater chance at making it to the pros. An injury can ruin a chance like this completely, forcing a student to rethink their future entirely. An athlete once on the path of becoming a professional, can no longer pursue their hopes and dreams. In 2013, football star Marcus Lattimore’s proved just how a sport injury can ruin a person’s entire future. Lattimore attended the University of South Carolina, where he displayed his true passion and talent as a football player. Many believed that Lattimore would be a top five draft picks, but an injury changed his life forever. Lattimore got a “knee injury so serious that he nearly lost his leg” (“Marcus Lattimore On NFL Career”). Although he had a very severe injury, the San Francisco Forty-Niners still drafted him based on his extreme talents before his injury. Even as a member of the Forty-Niners, Lattimore still did not get to expand upon his football career the way he wanted to. Lattimore was redshirted and hardly participates in games still to this day. Lattimore is a perfect example of how quick a future of success can be ruined. Luckily for Lattimore, his injury was not severe enough to keep him from pursuing any other career in the future if needed. There are many different routes a student-athlete can take if they end up getting injuries. Unless of course, the injury leaves an athlete incapable of receiving any kind of job outside of playing sports. A severe injury can include becoming paralyzed or having another physical disability. Having a physical disability can limit person's chances of getting employed, which limits the source of revenue they receive. Many athletes endure career ending injuries. Therefore, if student-athletes receive some sort of stipend or pay for playing a sport in college, getting injured will not be as financially damaging. 

Creating a plan will require a lot of time and hard work, but if it is thought out well enough this debate will no longer be controversial throughout the country. Student-athletes are currently not paid for playing a sport in college. Many opposers on student-athletes getting paid, focus in on how colleges do not earn as much revenue as others. This may be true, but not all schools should have to pay their student-athletes. Division I and some Division II colleges and universities make enough revenue to support the athletes representing their school. If an athlete is talented enough to make it onto a Division I or Division II sports team in college, they should be rewarded for their talents. Another reason why student-athletes are currently not receiving pay is the inability to set up a pay scale. Some sports do not make colleges the same amount of money, so paying all athletes equally would be very difficult. Individuals today live in a society where equal pay is not enforced. It all comes down to a person’s profession that determines their amount of income. For instance, baseball players make almost double the amount a basketball player may make. If professional sports can pay individuals differently based on what sport they play, so can college. As for a non-revenue generating sport, money can be earned “from other parts of the athletic department” (Griffin 12). One last reason why student-athletes are currently not being paid is for the fact that college is supposed to be a stepping stone towards a future in the big league. If a student-athlete is talented enough in the sport they play, chances of making it pro are very high. Since the chance is so high, college is just a way to showcase talent as a gateway to earn a spot in the pros. In the pros athletes get paid, but becoming a professional is not something guaranteed to all athletes. Therefore, student-athletes should get paid for their efforts and talents on the college level as well.

The debate on whether or not student-athletes should get paid is still in the process of being settled for good. Although there are pros and cons to both sides, making a fair decision can put this debate to rest. Taking into consideration all the revenue student-athletes produce, the time dedicated to their sport, and the possible injuries they can endure, many can agree student-athletes should be paid. Student-athletes are currently not paid, so now imagine a world where they are.
