Premium Essay

College Athletes

In:

Submitted By pdenney5494
Words 1052
Pages 5
Peter Denney
Professor Paterson
English 112
29 Oct. 2013
Should College Athletes Make the Big Bucks? At what point does an athlete lose the true meaning behind playing a sport? When do they decide that making a hefty paycheck outweighs their actual desire to compete in the game they have grown to love? When reaching a certain skill level like that of college, athletes crave a greater reward than just success. I’m currently a collegiate athlete and I’ve often wondered why athletes like me don’t get paid. Collegiate athletes give all of their time in school and on sports and suggest that they deserve something in return other than just scholarship funds. College is very expensive and without some type of financial aid, most students would drown in debt acquired from student loans. Scholarships available to go to certain universities aid student-athletes during each semester, but do not cover most external costs. Players are presented with a choice when participating in a college sport. The decision to attend a school of preference and partake in a sport, all comes down to the individual. Paying college athletes is a difficulty because paying male athletes and female athletes equally would be a huge challenge. Though it may be a choice to play sports in college, I want to know the meaning behind athletes not getting paid. Being a college athlete can be directly translated as an occupation. When a player wakes up in the morning, they either have 8 A.M. classes or a workout session with the team. In between attending practices, classes, and study halls, it is hard to find time for anything else. Every day of the week, major sports like basketball and football, have two to three hour practices. If sports can translate into being full-time jobs, why not pay athletes as a full-time employee. The devotion put into keeping a respectable grade point average during

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Pay College Athletes

...“Pay the college athletes?” Whether or not to pay college athletes has been in debate for a number of years. No one seems to be able to decide whether or not these “students” deserve to be compensated for their actions on the gridiron, or whether they should be treated just like every other student at the school. The fact of the matter is that these athletes are not actually like every other average student. These athletes for some of these big name schools aren’t just helping the NCAA rake in small chunks of money; in fact they are helping the NCAA make billions of dollars every single year. It seems like only the NCAA is benefiting from the money who are the people in charge, and the workers, the athletes, are working for such a large profit, with no compensation towards them. To some this is the way it should be, but to others, they feels as if the athletes are being abused in a way that they are unable to fight back about. Therefore, do scholarships and free-living expenses make up for the billions of dollars these top tier athletes are bringing in? Or are these college athletes being abused by the billion-dollar industry that they help fuel? Some people view college sports as students at a school, representing their school through the act of a sport. However, the truth is that these college students fuel a billion dollar business that has no income for the actual “employees.” In Taylor Branch’s article, “The Shame of College Sports”, he continuously shows how these...

Words: 1759 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Genetic Testing & College Athletes

...Genetic Testing and College Athletes On April 13, 2010, the NCAA made tests for Sickle Cell Trait (SCT) mandatory, effective in August 2010. SCT is a condition where the blood cells are elongated and potentially block blood flow and resist bonding to oxygen. The trait is generally benign but becomes active under extreme physical stress. For athletes, when performing strenuous activities, the trait is sometimes triggered and can potentially cause death. The statute states “student-athletes must be tested for sickle cell trait, show proof of a prior test or sign a waiver releasing an institution from liability if they decline to be tested.”(Brutlag, 2010) SCT genetic testing and NCAA regulations were implemented in order to protect student athletes, but the testing raises questions of who should receive the test results, the use of the results in discrimination against affected athletes and its potential to be cascade towards excessive genetic testing. In the current legislation, the results from an athletes test are given to the school, the coach and the athlete. This disclosure policy has the potential to be used to discriminate against those who are afflicted with SCT. Although the athlete has the option to opt out of testing initially once they have the test, the disclosure to the school and coaching staff is automatic. The test results should be first given to the student, and then they should have the option to waive liability and not disclose to the university...

Words: 846 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

College Athletes

...Nick Coleman Professor Todd Aldridge ENGL 1110 29 November 2015 Revision: Essay 2 - Paying of College Athletes Several years ago, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the NCAA, started out as a young business with a couple colleges under their helm, and today they have grown into an $11 billion industry tasked with the controversial decision of sharing their wealth with the college athletes that made them relevant. Should college athletes get paid is what it usually all boils down to. This burning question has been canvassed various times over the turn of the century with several underlying concerns for the athlete’s futures and also their safety. Opponents of paying college athletes contend that the scholarships said athletes received to their institutions of higher learning should be more than enough. Once a university extends a scholarship to an athlete, that athlete becomes property of that university. With that being said, once on campus, they become “student athletes,” a term coined by the NCAA to justify their exploitation of the athletes that made the infamous organization relevant, and also full time workers as they spend on average an excess of more than forty hours a week dedicated to their respective sports. In a survey conducted internally by the NCAA, it was discovered that athletes competing in more than a half a dozen sports indicated that they too, are putting in the equivalent of full time worksheets, but don’t receive the benefits that regular...

Words: 1387 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Paying College Athletes

...- Ethics and Social Responsibility January 22, 2013 Responsibility Project Video Link: http://responsibility-project.libertymutual.com/films/rp-roundtable-college-sports * Organizational Issues The world of collegiate sports is as comprehensive a subject as can be discussed. The issues that come with the overall organization of collegiate sports and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) are far greater than what should be deemed acceptable. In an Internet video, Responsibility Project (2011) states that the “model” of collegiate sports is broken, that there is a debate on whether college sports builds character or retracts from character, and that we have reached a cross-roads with today’s college athletes. The issues discussed in the video are of great importance because they deal with the education and upbringing of thousands of our nation’s youth and because the “organization” of college sports is a multi-billion dollar industry which is accompanied by many flaws. These matters include the fact that college athletes receiving full scholarships are demanded to allow so much time and effort towards their athletic programs that it comes at the expense of them receiving an education. Another issue discussed in the film, this actually from a former athlete himself, says “the athlete is so far removed from the academic experience of the institution…they don’t interact with the normal student body, they are dealing with people who think and act...

Words: 689 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Paying College Athletes

...November 2, 2015 Professor Brian Royce ENGL 111-05C-C1 Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne, Indiana 46835 Dear Professor Royce- I am writing this cover letter to you as a part of the Informative essay assignment for English 111. I choose to write about the current debate over whether college athletes should be paid for their time and effort while playing their chosen sport at colleges and universities across America. I received only one peer review on Blackboard, and was underwhelmed by the response that I received. Jairret Boyce was the only classmate that responded to my essay, and in his peer review, he merely agreed that I did everything well. This was not very helpful in the completion of my final draft for this assignment. The only helpful feedback that I received was from you, with the notes that you made on my first draft, with the most important information being that my thesis statement would not work because I presented it in the form of a question. I made the proper changes to my thesis statement to make sure that it shows the two different sides to the debate that I writing about to inform my audience. After receiving the grade for my essay in writing project two, I wanted to make sure that I did a better job with my Works Cited page. I went to the library, and was shown Noodle tools, and made sure to use that resource to make sure I completed a quality Works Cited page for this assignment. I am looking forward to completing Writing Project four,...

Words: 1871 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Should College Athletes Be Paid

...Should College Athletes Be Paid In 2013 the NCAA made 912.8 million and 85% of that came from the division I men’s basketball tournament as you can see college sports is very popular in the United States but who really wins? The average division I football player spend about 44 hours per week to football with practice and other sport related activity now mind you this is a college student. College student across the country are given homework and are expected to study for test and be prepared for class when need be so as you can see the athlete doesn’t have lots of time to spare for like working a job. Teams travel to different parts of the country to play sports against others college teams and we all know how hard travel time can be now if I’m not mistaken in this country you have to have some kind of income to make ends meet. The NCAA make all this money while the athletes in which they make the money off of has to travel and dedicate most of all their time to the sport they play. If a student can’t work a job how are they supposed to take care of themselves many student go without eating a hardy meal or having the basic needs to survive yes they may have a dorm room and a cafeteria lunch but your taking about athletes most of which are big human beings that need to eat. The NCAA make money off these kids’ jerseys, video games and autographs but the student is not allowed to take money or profit off anything while not working a job. Many people say well the athlete...

Words: 620 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Exploitation Of College Athletes

...The Hidden Mystery Behind Exploitation of College Athletes The NCAA, which stands for National Collegiate Athletics Association, is an organization that was established in the early 1900s to regulate sports in the collegiate level. Over the years, the NCAA has gained publicity around the country making a lot of high school athletes want to get athletics scholarships to play at a competitive level. Since so many athletes want to play at the collegiate level, it is a difficult achievement that takes a lot of discipline. Only around 2% of high school athletes get athletic scholarships that end up making you only pay under 11,000$ for tuition or sometimes nothing (O’Shaughnessy). These athletes that got the rare opportunity of an athletic scholarship...

Words: 1758 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

College Athletes Benefits

...Should College Athletes Extra Receive Benefits Some of the biggest sports events around the world revolve 18 to 22 year olds in college who are putting on a show, but getting nothing in return. The college athletic landscape is a powerhouse in the sports world, and is regarded as the purest form of the sport, even better than the pros. What makes college so unique is that because they are not at the highest level yet, they have to hustle and give their all every game. The top collegiate events are celebrated and highly anticipated. One of the most watched events, is the NCAA tournament called March Madness, which brings in about $900 million annually according to ESPN.com and also requires players to miss up to a month of classes. The...

Words: 1237 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

College Athletes Amateurism

...Schooled: The Price of college sports, is a documentary that serves to shed light on the on going tension between college athletes and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with regards to amateurism. The NCAA justifies the idea of amateurism by claiming that athletes benefit by gaining a quality college education in exchange for playing college sports. However, student athletes are prohibited from receiving worker’s compensation and cannot receive money for commercial endorsements despite bringing in billions of dollars in revenue for the sports college industry. As a result, many ethical issues have arisen due to the amateurism structure adopted by the NCAA, which has led to educational injustices, financial injustices and,...

Words: 1051 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

College Athlete Attrition

...Attrition: More Complicated Than You Think Why are there so many college athletes transferring? In the past decade, attrition within athletic departments across the country have skyrocketed. But why? What factors make an athlete want to transfer to a different school? Wouldn’t most of us be content with receiving free school for playing a sport? College football writer Mike Hlas asks “aren't transfers and dismissals simply part of college football”? In reality, it’s not as simple as it sounds. There are many different reasons why college athletes feel the need for a change in scenery. The first and most common reason for athlete school swapping is the unhappiness of playing time. For the Iowa Hawkeye’s football team, most true freshman...

Words: 1254 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Rewarding College Athletes

...All over the United States, seniors graduate high school looking forward to the next step of their lives at college. For some, they reserve the privilege of receiving large amounts of scholarship money for athletics; for others, they receive a much lesser monetary award for grade point average and ACT or SAT scores. All over the country, college students are praised for being great athletes but are expected to do less academically. For many reasons, collegiate athletes should not be awarded so much individual scholarship money or appraisal for being athletic. Every year, the recruitment of collegiate athletes takes time and effort because coaches have to carefully hand pick the most talented players to represent their university. There are...

Words: 874 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

College Athlete Recruitment

...Athlete Recruitment; A Big Loss for Colleges As many seniors in high school apply to their dream colleges, you can’t help but to notice your athletically exceptional peers being recruited by top universities. Many students and parents have noticed that athletic skill increases the chances of admissions to a top school than academic success does alone. The recruitment of top-notch athletes from the beginning of high school to graduation is a degradation of the educational system, that not only affects academically orientated high schoolers, but also students of the future. In college, recruited athletes make up around 20% of the class. Many of these athletes are granted admission to universities, even with sub-par academics. Also, they...

Words: 412 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

College Athletes Get Paid

...At some colleges, college athletics are a key source of income, and they attract students to their institutions. Universities depend on their athletes to produce and maintain the popularity of their school's name. According to NCAA rules, “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” (NCAA Regulations 1).Even though the athletes are the one making the money for the college the students are not paid for their time spent playing sports. The NCAA has the capabilities to pay the students but it has not happen yet. The college athletes have no incentive to stay in college and finish their degrees, as many cannot afford to pay for the increasingly expensive college...

Words: 912 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Compensation of College Athletes

...Abstract Should college athletes get paid? Does it teach kids that they do not have to have a job to make money, and that they can just do whatever they like because they know they are too good and will not be let off? I find this topic interesting because I want to play a sport in college.  I know that a full ride scholarship would pay for the athlete’s college tuition, food, housing, and their books. I also know that multiple hours are spent by the athlete practicing throughout the day and year. Athletes are expected by their coaches to practice before the season starts and after the season so that they can be the best that they can be for the team. With that being said, how do athletes manage their time with practice, school, and a social life? My intended audience is for anyone who is interested in sports or the benefits college athletes receive from a scholarship. Any athletes might find it interesting what the process is to get a scholarship, whether it is high school students or college. More specifically this would be beneficial to any high school student or parent who would like to know about college athletic scholarships. Compensation of College Athletes There has been an ongoing debate continuing since the early nineteen hundreds on whether college athletes should get paid. This argument comes from the coaches, the athlete’s parents, and the athletes themselves arguing that universities make money off of the players and the players, in turn, do not receive any...

Words: 1780 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Paying College Athletes

...Paying College Athletes College athletes juggle busy academic in addition to practice schedules throughout their week. Team sports like basketball and football, as well as individual sports, are extremely popular worldwide, especially in the United States. Pro athletes have statuses similar to Hollywood celebrities, and wages that match. However, no matter how well they currently play, all of them once were amateurs. In this perspective, college athletes are not much different from professionals, yet college athletes have never been financially compensated for their efforts in sports. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) prohibits college athletes to be monetarily compensated for their effort. College athletes should be fiscally compensated for a number of reasons. Playing a college sport is like a full time job, except for no financial benefits. A typical 1st division college football player trains approximately 43 hours per week. To put that into perspective, a typical American works 40 hours per week. In addition to the 40+ hours per week of training, college athletes also need to dedicate time to studying. With an intense schedule like this, college athletes are left with no time to make a living. Additionally, NCAA tournament rules often require college athletes to skip classes in favor of nationally televised games that bring in revenue, going to the NCAA, not the athlete who is possibly sacrificing their grades. Based on this alone, college athletes...

Words: 586 - Pages: 3