Tyler Allen
Mr. Burford
Jr. Comp. 15 May 2014
College Athletes Should Not be Paid
College sports are entertaining and fun to watch but we may have a problem with these sports. Many college athletes are speaking out in protest. These athletes want to be paid for playing. This is not just a problem for one sport; athletes from many different sports are speaking out. College athletes receive enough benefits from their university for playing sports. These benefits make up for none of the payment. Athletes should not be paid because colleges would not be able to afford paying athletes, athletes already receive compensation when they accept many benefits, and college athletes are broadcasted on national television and are adored by many people all over the country.
Athletes have never been paid to play sports in college. Some people argue for college athletes to be paid. These people think that the players deserve to be paid because of all the things they go through. People believe that these athletes don’t receive the quality education because of the time that students sport consumes. Some people believe that college athletes should be paid because Division I football and basketball players devote over forty-three hours a week to practicing, training and playing their beloved sport. Which is longer than the typical work week for the average American worker. This year, the University of Alabama reported $143.3 Million in athletic revenues, which is more than all thirty NHL teams and twenty-five of the thirty NBA teams. Which means that the University of Alabama has enough money to pay their athletes since they bring in all of that money. Some people think that athletes should be paid. After practices and games, the athletes are hungry but they don’t have any money to buy food. The reason why athletes don’t have any money, is because between school and sports, they don’t have time for a job.
One of the biggest reasons athletes should not be paid is that colleges wouldn’t be able to afford paying them. Almost every year, less than ten percent of colleges and universities are able to make a profit by the end of their sports seasons (Miller). Most universities have multiple sports that they don’t make money on. In 2012, only twenty-three of 228 athletic departments were able to cover their own expenses (Panciocco). People then want these universities to pay their players when they don’t even make enough money to cover their own expenses. Most people think colleges and universities make millions of dollars off college sports. They do not account for the sports that do not receive much attention like soccer, wrestling, and swimming. Those sports cost money too, but do not bring in near as much as football or basketball. The revenue that is collected from T-shirt, ticket sales, and concessions goes toward travel costs, uniforms, and field maintenance (Panciocco). These necessary costs take up part of the funds. None of those costs include the salaries of the coaching staff or athletic trainers. People need to face the fact that college sports are expensive.
In addition to colleges not being able to afford paying athletes, college athletes already receive compensation when they accept their scholarships. Even if athletes don’t receive full ride scholarships, they receive more than the average academic scholarship covers (Block). The average academic scholarship pays the student $5,060 while the average athletic scholarship covers $10,400. All of the scholarships are then renewable for the four years that athletes would be in college as long as they keep playing their sport (Miller). Some of these scholarships even cover tuition, fees, room, board, and textbooks in addition to the actual cost of the players’ educations (Block).
Some universities even offer their players preferred housing, which means they can choose which building they want to stay in and which floor. On top of all those benefits, athletes get free tutoring services, free travel expenses, free merchandise, and equipment (Miller).These things really work out in the athletes favor, because they receive all these things to play the sport they love.
College athletes have never been paid to play their sports. How should it be decided how much a player is worth? There is no way to make a system of payment fair. Larger universities would be able to get any athlete they wanted if they offered enough money. Although many athletes have spoken out, pleading to be paid, it has never changed. Athletes receive more benefits than the average college student. In the 1960s, NCAA scholarships provided money for: tuition, room, board, books, and fifteen dollars a month in laundry money. The amounts of scholarships have gone up, but they may still be used for the same things. Athletes also receive numerous amenities and luxuries free. When these things are all added up, they usually total more than one hundred thousand dollars (Miller). This is one of the many different reasons that college athletes should not be paid. Some people argue for college athletes to be paid. These people think that the players deserve to be paid because of all the things they go through. People believe that these athletes don’t receive the quality education because of the time that students sport consumes.
The growing popularity of college sports is credited to the broadcasting of these sports. College sports are broadcasted on national television every day of the week except Sundays in most cases. This allows all of the athletes to be noticed not only by those at the game but by those who are tuning in from their homes. Every one of these athletes wishes to make it to the pros for their respective sport. The publicity of their sport allows pro scouts to follow them even if they are unable to make it to their game. Everyone wants to be paid to do something they love and athletes get compensation for playing the sport they love.
College athletes should not be paid to play their sports. Those athletes receive many different benefits from playing college sports. Even if the NCAA decided that college athletes would be paid, there is no system that would be fair for every sport at every university. What would keep the larger universities from buying all of the better players from smaller colleges? Athletes get enough already. They should not be allowed any more.

Works Cited Block, Molly. ”College Athletes should not receive payment for playing.” The University Star. Texas State University. Web. 29 April 2014. Snoop, Jackson. “The Myth of Parity.” ESPN. 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 29 April 2014. Hartstine, Warren. “College athletes should not be paid.” Articles-baltimore-sun.com. The Baltimore Sun. 2 Nov. 2013. Web 29 April 2014. Miller, Christopher. “College athletes should not be paid.” The-post-ohiou.edu. The Post. 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 29 April. 2014. Panciocco, Anthony. “Why we can’t pay college athletes.” Mainecampus.com. The University of Maine. 27 Oct. 2013. Web. 29 April 2014.