Sports culture is an important of U.S. college life. Just as some colleges have developed a particular reputation for academic excellence such as Harvard University, MIT, Yale University, and Princeton University, there are also colleges who have developed reputation for sports excellence such as University of Southern California, University of Oklahoma, University of Texas, Austin, and Ohio State University. While these colleges with top-ranked NCAA programs do provide scholarships to their athletes, such scholarships do not constitute an adequate compensation to the athletes in accordance with what these athletes bring to the table. Thus, college athletes should receive a salary for playing in college because not only the benefits will outweigh the costs but this will also be ethically the right thing to do.
College athletes should receive a salary because they are not only expected to fulfill their academic obligations but also devote significant time and efforts to practice, game preparations, and actual competitions. In other words, they are required to put in more efforts than an average student and it is only fair they receive a salary. Given their commitment to sports, they cannot hold regular jobs which may provide them with reliable income stream.
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College athletes should also receive a salary because their combined efforts result in millions of dollars of revenue to their respective college programs and may also benefit their respective colleges in other ways such as increasing its appeal to prospective students as well as corporate sponsors. Students’ interest as well as corporate sponsorship may increase if college sports program do well, thus, it is only fair to pay to athletes who help generate significant economic resources not only for their respective colleges but also for the local and national economy. An online article reported that television networks such as CBA and Turner Broadcasting earn a cumulative total of over $1 billion through broadcasts (U.S. News).
College athletes should also be paid because it may inspire them to stay longer in college. This will not only benefit them as they are more likely to complete their education and enter professional career as more mature individuals but it will also benefit their respective college programs for whom it is not uncommon to lose their star players through early drafts. Such players cannot be blamed because the financial lure of professional leagues is too strong and the incentive is even higher because they don’t receive any salary from their respective colleges.
It is apparent that college athletes should receive a salary because it will be a win-win situation for both athletes and colleges. Athletes will receive fairer treatment because they are required to put in more efforts than an average student who doesn’t have sports obligations. Colleges may benefit economically because the risk of star athletes joining early drafts may decline which means their power to attract students and corporate sponsors may increase.
- U.S. News. Should NCAA Athletes Be Paid? 6 November 2014
