Why College Athletes Should Be Allowed to Be Paid:

Devontrey
Professor Bustamante
ENC 1102 T/T
Paper #4
23 October 2012
Why College Athletes Should Be allowed to be Paid: College athletes should be allowed to be paid to play for many reasons, but today’s college athletes are subject to the “pay for play” rule, which states ‘that an individual will lose his or her amateur status and will not be eligible for intercollegiate competition in any sport’’ (Steve Wieberg). However, ultimately the rule hurts student athletes because many college students need help simply surviving financially if student athletes are allowed to receive money from fans, they could do positive stuff such as pay bills, buy food, wash clothes, get gas for their cars, and buy toiletries. Many universities depend on their student athletes to produce and maintain the popularity of their school 's name. Although scholarships are also given for academic achievement, these students do not do the additional work college athletes are required to do. Also, college athletes, unlike those students with academic scholarships, are a huge source of revenue for their school and attract students to their institutions. This helps the university grow popularity because these are considered the best athletes in the country at the D1 level. Most college athletes that play a sport in college accept a scholarship as their form of pay to play that sport at the school just as an average student with a 4.0 grade point average. That is perfectly fine that the student athletes received the scholarship to come to the school and play for them, and the regular student that received their scholarship just to attend to get a education because of what they did in high school, but is the scholarship enough for the athletes to survive or should they be allowed to be paid? No, the scholarship is not enough for them to survive. Student athletes should be allowed to be paid by the university and by the fans. According to an ESPN article “College Athletes Deserve to Be Paid,” ‘’by the time Christmas break comes, most athletes are in debt with the university officials’’ (Wilbon, Michael). A lot of colleges are not giving the athletes a full ride scholarship to play the sport for them. Instead, they are giving them a partial scholarship, meaning they will only pay for half of the college athlete’s tuition and college expenses, even though they are going to be making millions off of the college athletes. The rule “play for pay” should be revoked (Ellen J. Staurowsky). With the rule “play for pay,” if a student athlete violates the rule, they will be suspended from the team. The student athlete may also be kicked out of the school, and cost the school many problems such as fines, revoked games and banners, and even require the firing of the team’s coach. College athletes should not have to break the pay for play rule just to survive or even have fun. The NCAA and the college athlete’s university should not try and be so greedy and keep all the money and claim that the money pays for the athletes uniforms, food, travel, hotel stay, and pays for the student athletes scholarships. For example, I calculated if an instate student athlete gets a full ride scholarship to Florida State University that the total cost for room and board, meal plan, books, tuition and fees, and other expense would total out to be $19,187 for their attendance, but for a student athlete from out of state, the total cost for them to attend would be $34,354. Let’s say all fifth teen men on FSU men’s basketball roster get a basketball scholarship, and six out fifth teen are considered in state tuition and nine out fifth teen are considered out of state tuition. The total cost of all the scholarships added together would total to be $1,345,284.00. But according to a National College Athletes ' Advocacy Group and a sports management professor, calculated in the report that if college sports shared their revenues the way pro sports do, the average basketball player at the college level would be worth $265,000 each (Associated Press). They are getting over big time. The University is making big bucks off the athletes, because they are charging a big amount to come to the games in person, and the NCAA run the website NCAA.COM which sells jersey, shirts, tags, hats, and etc of each teams. The National College Athlete Association, by selling all the items for all the different teams they are making lots of money because big time fans from around the country will go online and order items from their teams store to represent for the team they have pride in. But still where does the money go since it’s not going to the student athletes? Student athletes and fans like me are still wondering. Skylar Diggings of Norte Dame, was asked the follow questions while giving an interview by the New York Times The N.C.A.A. makes a fortune. It also requires athletes to sign away their likenesses in Perpetuity without pay. Does this bother you? Skylar answered, ‘Yes when I see all these People walking around with my jersey on, I’m like, where does all that money go’’? She then stated ‘but I’m living the life as high as the tuition is, at Notre Dame I probably wouldn’t be able to go here as a regular student. So anything that is good for Notre Dame is good for me and our program’’ (ANDREW GOLDMAN).

Even after Skylar answered “yes it does bother me when I see a lot of people walking around wearing my jersey and not knowing where the money goes,” ‘she stated, that’s ok because she is living the life of a true college student and that anything that’s good for her is good for Notre Dame’’. Dispute the opportunity Skylar was afforded she is a rare case. Many athletes at public universities are not given the same opportunity. Even Skylar as college athlete who has benefited so much was wondering where all the money goes that is made by the National College Athletic Association. Many college athletes wonder the same?

The NCAA claims to be a nonprofit organization and claims to fund many scholarships and championships, yet they will not allow student athletes to be paid or accept any type of gifts or money from fans. When people think of the National College Athletic Association as a nonprofit program it is just hard to even believe for a second. Seeing all the males and females college athletes that comes though the universities and make a big time name for them and the college they are playing for. And they rule the nation in sports talk by demanding attention for the leadership and how hard they hustle to win. The National College Athletic Association, should allow the colleges to pay the student athletes to show appreciation to the student athletes for choosing their university to represent over all the other universities. Lastly college athletes should be paid by the university or even allowed to be given money and gifts from fans because in Division 1 sports such as football and basketball many of those athletes are not finishing school with a degree. The athletes are leaving school early and declaring for the draft to become professional. Many college athletes come from low income families that live in the projects and have multiple siblings and cannot help provide for the student that is in college because it would take away from the kids that live with them also, many college athletes have children themselves and a small monthly fee from the university would help them to provide for the child a little. Most of the time when college athletes leave school early and declare for the draft, majority of their reason seem to be because they family are in need or they have children to take care of and have to handle their business someway .

With all of that being said, college athletes should be allowed to be paid and receive money and gifts from their fans and not be subject to the pay for play rule that would rule them to be ineligible to play sports. The National College Athletic Associations needs to stop being selfish and thinking of itself and think of how their greed is really hurting the college athletes. College athletes should receive that small payment because it is not fair that they do all they work and represent the university pride.

Works Cited

"Cost of Attendance: Fall 2012/Spring 2013." Fsu.edu. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. .

GOLDMAN, ANDREW. "She Got Game." She Got Game 09 Feb. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012 . "Highest Net Income Amongst Athletics Departments Highest Net Income Amongst Athletics Department «. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2012.. Press, Associated. "Report Makes Case for Paying players." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 12 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.. "Should College Players Get Paid? – Morning Express - CNN.com Blogs." Morning Express - - CNN.com Blogs. Http://mxp.blogs.cnn.com, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. . Staples, Andy Staples. "Rewriting NCAA Rulebook." Rewriting NCAA Rulebook 27 July 2011. Sports Illustration. Http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com, 27 July 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. . Staurowsky, Ellen J. " 'Should College Athletes Get Paid? ' Is the Wrong Question - Ellen J. Staurowsky - Entertainment - The Atlantic." The Atlantic — News and Analysis on Politics, Business, Culture, Technology, National, International, and Life – TheAtlantic.com. "Should College Players Get Paid? – Morning Express - CNN.com Blogs." Morning Express - - CNN.com Blogs. Http://mxp.blogs.cnn.com, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.. Rosenberg, Michael Rosenberg. "A Simple Solution to NCAA Corruption: Let Stars Get Paid." Editorial. A Simple Solution to NCAA Corruption: Let Stars Get Paid Read More: Http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/michael_rosenberg/07/25/ncaa.pay/index.html#ixzz1qSCsxLJe 26 July 2011. Star College Players like Reggie Bush, Cam Newton should Be Paid. 26 July 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2012.
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Wieberg, Steve. "Study: College Athletes Are Full-time Workers." USA Today. Gannett, 13 Jan. 2008. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. .

Wieberg, Steve. "NCAA Closes Loophole That Allowed Cam Newton to Play." USA Today. Gannett, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2012..

Wilbon, Michael. "College Athletes Deserve to Be Paid." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in sports. ESPN.com, 18 July 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

Cited: "Cost of Attendance: Fall 2012/Spring 2013." Fsu.edu. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. GOLDMAN, ANDREW. "She Got Game." She Got Game 09 Feb. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012 . "Highest Net Income Amongst Athletics Departments Highest Net Income Amongst Athletics Department «. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 07 Apr. 2012.. Press, Associated. "Report Makes Case for Paying players." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 12 Sept. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.. "Should College Players Get Paid? – Morning Express - CNN.com Blogs." Morning Express - - CNN.com Blogs. Http://mxp.blogs.cnn.com, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. . Staples, Andy Staples. "Rewriting NCAA Rulebook." Rewriting NCAA Rulebook 27 July 2011. Sports Illustration. Http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com, 27 July 2011. Web. 28 Mar. 2012. . "Should College Players Get Paid? – Morning Express - CNN.com Blogs." Morning Express - - CNN.com Blogs. Http://mxp.blogs.cnn.com, 13 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.. Wieberg, Steve. "Study: College Athletes Are Full-time Workers." USA Today. Gannett, 13 Jan. 2008. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. . Wieberg, Steve. "NCAA Closes Loophole That Allowed Cam Newton to Play." USA Today. Gannett, 11 Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2012.. Wilbon, Michael. "College Athletes Deserve to Be Paid." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in sports. ESPN.com, 18 July 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .