However, players lived $778 below the federal poverty line and owed $3,624 in tuition. WebCollege athletes are allowed to compete in the Olympic Games and be financially compensated, such as Joseph Schooling, a University of Texas swimmer, who earned a $740,000 bonus for winning Singapores first gold medal ever at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paying student-athletes would help eliminate the need for these student-athletes to take out loans, burden their families for monetary support, or add employment to their already busy schedules. Data analyzed from the Department of Labor showed nine out of 10 new jobs were going to employees with college degrees in June 2018. A decision is expected in June 2021. Furthermore, only two major sports (basketball and football) are making significant amounts of money some dont generate any or are purely just expenses. Then there's the newly proposed College Athlete Economic Freedom Act, which would allow student-athletes to unionize and earn money off their likeness, name, and image. The difference is less pronounced among females, with non-athletes averaging a 3.24 GPA and recruited women athletes at 3.18. More broadly, a study showed that when a football team "rises from mediocre to great," applications increase 18.7%. Players are awash in Nike gear owing to the apparel giant's $174 million deal with Michigan and $252 million deal with Ohio State. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. It is the latest chapter of an athlete rights movement that has generated What good will the athletes scholarship do when he cant find time to work on them? 1. [28]. At 6 feet 7 inches and 285 pounds, Williamson, a freshman basketball player at Duke University, is impressing fans with his combination of size, strength and leaping ability. African Americans make up the majority of college athletes at the top levels in three major sports: mens and womens basketball (Division I) and the upper FBS level of the NCAAs Division I, according to Travis Waltons HuffPost article Black Americans Support Paying College Athletes. Against this backdrop, here are both sides of the issue. 1, 2021), Colin Dwyer, California Governor Signs Bill Allowing College Athletes to Profit from Endorsements, npr.org, Sep. 30, 2019, Rudy Hill and Jonatha D. Wohlwend, Florida Law Will Allow College Athletes to Profit from Name, Image, and Likeness Starting Summer 2021, June, 25, 2020, Ben Pickman, Colorado Governor Signs Bills Allowing NCAA Athletes to Profit Off Name, Likeness, si.com, Mar. Its not just the time commitment that playing college athletics puts on student-athletes, its the risk to their health. Football and basketball players cannot play professionally immediately after high school. If colleges and universities pay their athletes, there is a fear that resources will only go to popular, revenue-generating sports. Another argument is that for the majority of athletes, a free pass to college is their way out of their financial hardship. A likely scenario would involve universities cutting minor sports to pay athletes competing in the marquee sports. And if theyre unable to play, they will lose their athletic scholarship. Scores of college athletes are being used to generate money for NCAA sports in a pandemic without the NCAA enforcing any COVID standards. [17], The NCAA reported over $1.06 billion in revenue in 2017 (the most recent available numbers). Considering other scholarships and aid are widely available and not all college athletes require financial aid, the NCAA scholarships are generous. The age-old debate over whether college athletes should get paid is still alive and well. 3, 2021), National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Facts: Tuition Costs of Colleges and Universities, nces.gov, 2019, NCAA, Finances of Intercollegiate Athletics, ncaa.org (accessed Mar. Similarly, will compensation take into account talent? Title IX stipulates that colleges must provide equal opportunities for male and female athletes. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free. In Cowherds words: I dont think paying all college athletes is great Not every college is loaded, and most 19-year-olds [are] gonna spend itand lets be honest, theyre gonna spend it on weed and kicks! Maybe as Much as He Loves Playing. If college athletes were to get paid, then large, well-funded schools such as those of the Power Five would be best positioned to acquire top talent and gain a competitive advantage. Have you heard of the salary controversy regarding college athletes? The opportunity cost of not working is considerable. Athletes constantly risk injury and therefore deserve proper compensation. However, in 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Play Act that allows college athletes to hire agents, sign endorsement deals, and be paid for the use of their likeness. Full athletic scholarships are only guaranteed a year at a time, meaning student-athletes are one catastrophic injury away from potentially losing their scholarship. Takeaway: Many college athletes are in need of financial benefits. Takeaway: Paying student-athletes would reduce NCAAs spending on expensive facilities. College athletes may also play a second sport professionally and be compensated, such as Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker who earned a $1.4 million baseball signing bonus from the Colorado Rockies in 2010 while still playing football for the Tigers. On the sidelines, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh (salary: $8 million) and his counterpart, Ryan Day (salary: $5.7 million), finalize their game plans. Many advocates against paying college athletes state that athletic scholarships are sufficient compensation for the athletes. Most players have no real amateur sport option and those who would rather not go to college have no other established feeder system to make it to a professional team. If these rules are The NCAA assumes Congress eventually will pass a federal law providing consistent standards for NIL endeavors, though members of Congress cannot seem to agree on the parameters. Last modified on January 21, 2022. And ever since that 1984 decision, courts have been relying on that language to try to interpret antitrust law applies to all NCAA restrictions, including player compensation., On June 21, 2021, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the NCAA cannot ban certain payments to student athletes under the premise of maintaining amateurism. For example, a student athlete will be compensated for the sale of a jersey featuring their name, or for a sponsorship deal in which they appear wearing a UNC jersey. College athletes are often valued at more than $1 million, but they (and their families) frequently live below the poverty line. Of the 36,011 college baseball players, only 8,002 are eligible to play professionally each year. They will lose that hunger and passion that we see in college. Programs like football and mens basketball would likely benefit greatly, but smaller, unprofitable sports such as gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling could find themselves at best cash-strapped and, at the worst, cut altogether. [24], B. David Ridpath, EdD, Associate Professor of Sports Administration at Ohio University, noted, The only amateur quality about college athletics is that colleges refuse to pay their players. Ridpath explained, The United States is the only country in the world that has a significant portion of elite athletic development and commercialized sport embedded within its education systems. In Business Insider last week, there was an article that stated, It is estimated that the University of Louisville has the most valuable players at $1.72 million per year based on the programs $45.6 million in annual revenue. Some argue that if bidding becomes a possibility, then the stronger teams will become even stronger. They are, get over it!. As always, there are two sides to any argument. [25] [26], If college players earned about 50% of their teams revenues like the NFL and NBA players do, the average football players yearly salary would be $360,000 and the average basketball players yearly salary would be $500,000. Anyone can read what you share. A New York Times study found a 0.20-point difference in average GPA between recruited male athletes and non-athletes. As of June 10, 2021, 18 states have passed NIL laws; five more states have passed bills that were awaiting the governors signature to become law; 14 states have introduced NIL bills; and one state has a bill passed by the Senate and awaiting a House vote, according to the Business of College Sports. 1,217 will be draft picks, but only 791 will be drafted yearly, meaning about 9.9% of college baseball players will go pro, which is the largest likelihood in NCAA sports. WebWhy College Athletes Should Not Be Paid Compensation Conundrum. All of this begs the question, that if the NCAA did choose to pay college athletes, what would be the advantages or disadvantages of doing so? To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, discussion questions, and ways to take action on the issue of paying college athletes, go to ProCon.org. believes. Will the All-American point guard get the same amount as the captain of the swim team? 5. Divisions II and III of the NCAA followed suit and the changes went into effect for all three divisions on July 1, 2021. Panel Recommends," nytimes.com, June 28, 2021, Alan Blinder, "College Athletes May Earn Money from Their Fame, N.C.A.A. A weighty argument against paying college athletes is that not all sports are popular. WebAccording to the same article, A majority 52% of black respondents are strongly or somewhat in favor of paying college athletes, while only 15% strongly or somewhat A handful of big [36], Amy Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, said of the Gallup findings, Its a positive report for the educational benefits for college sports, and it reinforces the point that weve tried to make over the years. Consider the pro position of the National College Players Association that paying college athletes is a civil rights issue. People see fit that students get paid for their performance as they are the fundamental piece that drives external revenue to universities. Everyone, that is, except the players. In Zion Williamsons Injury Has Some Saying He Should Quit Duke, Marc Tracy writes: A freakish injury to Dukes Zion Williamson, college basketballs best and most prominent player, only seconds into a game on Wednesday night has instantaneously renewed a debate about the contradictions of the sports economic foundation, shining a harsh new light on the N.C.A.A.s policy of amateurism and the influence of billion-dollar shoe companies. I have gathered the weightiest arguments and an in-depth analysis of their validity. Wouldnt paying them eliminate a lot of these issues? [3], California was the first state to pass a NIL (name, image, and likeness) law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023. In what's called "head count" sports i.e., Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) football and Division I basketball for men, and Division I basketball, tennis, volleyball, and gymnastics for women students receive full athletic scholarships covering tuition and fees, room and board, and books. Exactly who gets paid and how much? On a side note, this would incentivize athletes to complete their degree, making them more employable after the end of their athletic career. Nathan Brunner is a labor market expert. rules, Duke is not compensating Williamson, an 18-year-old freshman, beyond a scholarship and the related costs of studying at, and playing for, the university. Its regulations state, "You are not eligible for participation in a sport if you have ever taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in that sport [or] used your athletics skill for pay in any form in that sport. If theres money to provide college coaches with lavish seven-figure salaries (especially at public institutions), why shouldnt there be funds to pay college athletes? Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admissionand how to improve them. By Jan. 2022, without a clear NIL structure from the NCAA, some schools were questioning how to navigate deals for players or whole teams without violating NCAA policy. College Athletes Getting Paid? ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. As it stands, NCAA athletes are allowed to receive scholarships that cover their college tuition and Explain your answer(s). 3. Support their families Players would be able to actually afford a decent meal and possibly send some money back home. Nowhere else in America can businesses get away with agreeing not to pay their workers a fair market rate on the theory that their product is defined by not paying their workers a fair market rate. Some claim that paying student-athletes will also benefit universities. The main argument against paying college athletes is that this would lead to legal issues threatening collegiate sports integrity. Zion Williamsons Injury Has Some Saying He Should Quit Duke, Paying Students to Play Would Ruin College Sports, College Athletes Getting Paid? According to the same article, A majority 52% of black respondents are strongly or somewhat in favor of paying college athletes, while only 15% strongly or somewhat oppose the idea. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. WebPro According to N.C.A.A. Over the years we have seen and heard scandals involving players taking money and even point-shaving. [38] These rules can effectively limit players options to playing in college or choosing another profession altogether. Whats the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom? "This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image, and likeness opportunities," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. She lost the case, but future generations would have more success and have slowly whittled away at arguments against paying athletes. That's not likely. This would also help keep top talents playing for college teams, improve the level of competition, and potentially lead to even higher revenue. ", Further, the NCAA stipulates, "You are not eligible in any sport if, after collegiate enrollment, you accept any pay for promoting a commercial product or service or allow your name or picture to be used for promoting a commercial product or service.". That means athletes who are exceptionally skilled at not-so-popular sports, such as swimming and softball, would not be given a chance to complete their studies through sponsorship and scholarship programs by the NCAA. [20]. List two to three ways. Even if a student receives a full-ride scholarship, the award doesn't provide pocket money for incidentals and entertainment. Graduate scholarships would there not be the only remuneration that student-athletes receive. If a university decided to pay student-athletes, where would that money come from? While theNCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) earns billions in revenue, it prohibits athletes from earning a single penny. Athletes Shouldn't Be Paid," about the NCAA's decision to allow college A testament to the disparate allocation of funds generated by college sports, of the $18.9 billion in athletics revenue in 2019, $3.6 billion went toward financial aid for student-athletes, and $3.7 billion was used for coaches compensation. It also raised an important question: Should Williamson ever suit up for another college game? As mentioned before, college athletes can put in upward of 40 hours a week practicing, training, and competingbeing a student-athlete is a challenge when youre devoting full-time hours to athletics. This option is better than being forced into an entire program they cant complete due to the lack of time. In fiscal year 2019, the collective expenses of the 65 Power Five schoolsthe largest and richest Division I schools in the NCAAexceeded revenue by $7 million. WebPaying the athletes in the team will make them put their focus on why should college athletes be paid essay and athletic with no worries about money. One of the most common reasons cited against paying college players is compensation. He writes about the future of work and higher education, student political activism, and expanding educational opportunities. If colleges paid athletes even close to their worth, they would provide an incentive for the athletes to stay in college and earn degrees, rather than leaving college for a paycheck. Why, They Already Are, Theres No Crying in College: The Case Against Paying College Athletes. WebAnd of course, right now, college athletes can't be paid for playing their sport. 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