Paying College Athletes | Teen Ink

Paying College Athletes MAG

By Anonymous

     A new American dream of making a huge living in sports at both the collegiate and professional level is rapidly growing. Today’s youth strive to join the ranks of the greatest who ever played a sport, and college is the beginning of that dream. At this level athletes forfeit a great deal to be able to spend hours each day practicing. Currently, a college athlete cannot be given money or marketed in a way that profits the school or the athlete. A growing controversy centers on whether these athletes deserve to make money for all their hard work.

Every year, the NCAA and universities earn millions of dollars from athletes that every average Joe loves to watch. For instance, the University of Southern California (USC) probably made a few million from their stars Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Should these athletes be given some of the earnings since the money was made because of them? When considering this, one question must be addressed: what is the purpose of college, and is an athlete’s decision to attend reason enough to deny them compensation?

At college, getting an education should remain the most important purpose. When an exceptional athlete attends, however, it is often their goal to showcase their talents and take easy classes. Art school students can sell their paintings, science students can publish their findings, and journalism majors can have an article published. Is it the same to be able to receive money for producing a marketable talent for a school’s athletics department? Can we bring ourselves to pay a teenager millions more than some second-rate professionals who had to work to gain any natural talent that they were not blessed with? Some say that paying college athletes will make professional sports obsolete because more athletes who are unable to make it in the pros (but have the talent to star in college) will find a means to go to school.

The decision to pay college athletes would have many reparations. Is it ethically right to pay a college athlete? College is where the line has been drawn and a garrison has risen to protect it. If the populace were to concede and pay someone who plays sports, then America would see people clamoring for outstanding high school athletes to be paid, which, of course, is absurd. College is where one should gain the education to succeed in life. Some may attend college, but because they’re getting paid to play sports, learn nothing and consequently suffer when the real world hits them on graduation day, and their sports career doesn’t pan out, or is derailed by injury.

The decision to pay college athletes, prodigies or not, would be a very grievous mistake. The point of college sports is two-fold. First, an exceptional athlete can refine skills and prepare for that next level where they can reap the rewards of their years of hard labor. Secondly, college sports serve to give students extracurricular activities to help them through the difficult academic life. I hope that the greed of America’s youth will never outweigh the importance of a good work ethic and a tough, yet valuable education.



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This article has 13 comments.


on Nov. 1 2016 at 12:36 pm
Most college atheletes have scholorships to go to their specific college, that alone should be enough pay for them.

midley1234 said...
on Dec. 2 2015 at 10:52 am
I agree on what you are saying but there are more pros than cons as to why they should get paid I am also writing an essay based on this but towards their scholarships, you know they don't get full scholarships they miss a few thousand dollars a month. College athletes make more money for them, they bring in more money for the NCAA and the athletic departments. I read in a text that it’s illegal not to pay them. And they still go against paying them. Whenever you get the chance watch this document more so like a movie called “Schooled”: the price of college sports.

NoniDoni GOLD said...
on May. 9 2015 at 6:27 pm
NoniDoni GOLD, Calabasas, California
11 articles 0 photos 54 comments
agreed, yet it was a good paper

NoniDoni GOLD said...
on May. 9 2015 at 6:26 pm
NoniDoni GOLD, Calabasas, California
11 articles 0 photos 54 comments
I respectfully disagree entirely with you. No, collegiate athletes should not be paid as much as pros, but they earned a salary. I am writing a paper on this for english class with the opposing side, so you did give me ideas! You write well and I enjoyed it, even though I disagree.

ballerX23 said...
on Feb. 11 2015 at 9:02 am
ballerX23, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
0 articles 0 photos 1 comment
you dont know anything

on Feb. 6 2015 at 10:00 am
Eric Engel BRONZE, Defiance, Ohio
1 article 0 photos 2 comments
“Paying College Athletes” isn’t an idea that John L believes in in his article. I agree with John on several of his ideas, but I don’t see why the athletes shouldn’t be paid for their crowds they produce at their games. If it weren’t for these athletes, then no one would care to go to any of the games. This would cost the college some big money. The argument of, “Isn’t it enough for the college to give them a free education” doesn’t really apply in my mind. The money a college makes from the games would cancel out the cost of college, and maybe it would even put some money towards the college’s bank account. I also feel if most professional sports require at least one year of college, even when athletes could clearly make the jump to the pros, then they should at least get some compensation for their time spent at the college when they could have been making money.

Jonathan said...
on Sep. 23 2014 at 3:20 pm
I think that college athletes should not be paid because they are student athletes, students come before athlete meaning that they're a student first and a athlete last

MexiFlash said...
on Sep. 23 2014 at 3:17 pm
Most Collegiate level basketball players are getting a full ride scholarship, so I don't see why they would want to get more on top of that.

on Jan. 6 2012 at 9:22 am
kalleyne3 BRONZE, New City, New York
1 article 0 photos 1 comment
I can see the comments under me have never played a sport at a high competitive level nor understand the necessity of the above topic. It's obvious college athletes should not be making the money of the pros but with the amount of money brought into a major school ie. (LSU) it is ridiculous to think these athletes should not be rewarded in other ways.

Gavin said...
on Nov. 15 2011 at 8:13 am
The only reason that I can think that schools offer these kids money to go to school there is because they think the kid isn't gonna go there or because they think the school isn't good enough for the recruit

on May. 9 2011 at 12:42 pm
you are right about all of it. The idea of going for all your life isn't smart if your injured you will no longer have a career and you wouldv'e wasted most of your life

usuck said...
on Feb. 18 2010 at 9:52 am
hahahaahahahajioowiewe

MONEY$ said...
on Feb. 15 2010 at 1:52 pm
THey do get paid with Free money to attend school about 40 grand a Year.