No, college athletes should not be paid.
I think they really already are getting paid. When we talk about college athletes getting paid we’re usually talking about the best of the best. The ones who have full scholarships to their colleges, many times these colleges would costs in the tens of thousands some even in the hundred thousand, but college athletes don’t need to pay anything. They are given access to some of the best facilities in the world and sometimes even better than professional sports teams. With these facilities, these players can push themselves to their limits and become the best versions of themselves.
If you bring actual money into college sports it will change it forever, it will change the dynamic of the whole sport. Many players love being in college and if they choose the right college and coach they will always be welcomed back and a second home. Not only are the players given the facilities to develop into great athletes but if they choose a great coach, the coach will mold them into great young men who are fit for anything. At Clemson University there is an emphasis on this, Dabo Swinney the head coach for the football team only recruits athletes that he finds fitting for the program. The whole vibe at Clemson is a very good vibe and many players build bonds that will last forever. In all, the college experience is a great one and it really isn’t the college experience after players are paid, it just becomes another division of professional sports.
College sports are only to represent your college and make them proud. If they want money and the sports department is not giving it then let them not participate. I am sure the team is not going to lose out. Usually, in sports, there are a lot of people who try out so it is easy to find a replacement for him. Moreover, all the sports gets you good fame and a good personality.
College sports are a preparation for professional sports. This drives many athletes to attain college level skills; they use the more competitive game and intense training to get a feel for a higher level. Tracy argues that too many organizations “reap billions of dollars from the efforts and talents of preprofessional athletes.” Yes, their games are televised, but this doesn’t just bring profit to companies and colleges. It publicizes players and gives them an opportunity to be scouted by professional coaches.
— Zoe Lee, Hoggard, Wilmington, NC
I feel as a student athlete, your attending school not only to play sports but to also obtain good education to succeed in life. When your playing a sport for a school, your basically representing your school for whatever sport your playing. While playing for the school, the coordinators for the sports and other volunteers put in a lot of money to make sure you have the essentials you need in order to play … College Athletes are provided with so much stuff that they don’t really need to worry about money. They are well taken cared of.
— Icess Tresvik, John T. Hoggard High
At first, I believed that college athletes should be paid, because they work as hard and are as good as professionals, provide a source of entertainment, and sell millions of tickets per game they play. However, after reading through the comment section, I’ve changed my mind … The whole point of college is to get a good education and to use that education in the future to help them guide their way to their careers. However, if they start getting paid, they will focus on money and not their education. That can result in a decrease of interest in education and grades of college players will also decrease, leading to the chances of being a pro athlete decreasing as well. Furthermore, if college athletes get paid, the pay will most likely be different for each player, and that will create a competitive atmosphere among the same team of athletes. If college athletes get paid, the pay of each player will be what defines them, instead of their skills. Therefore, I think that college athletes shouldn’t be paid.
— Soyoung, SSIS, HCMC, Vietnam
Yes, college athletes deserve a cut of the profits.
In my opinion, I do believe college athletes should be paid or at least be able to get some type of income. These athletes are bringing in over 11 billion dollars a year, including TV broadcasting, tickets, and even sponsors. Also the NCAA prohibits these athletes from getting a job or receiving any type of income, and some of these athletes don’t come from high, rich families and they don’t receive a full ride so they don’t know how to pay for the rest of their tuition.
