| For quite some time now, there has been a big | | | | from the student athletes, shouldn't student |
| debate about whether or not college athletes | | | | athletes have a piece of the pie too? This isn't to |
| should be paid. Some people believe that a | | | | say that college athletes should get paid large |
| scholarship should be payment enough. After all, a | | | | amounts of money, but it would definitely be nice |
| scholarship can be easily worth $15,000 - $25,000 | | | | if their scholarships would pay them a little extra |
| or more per year, plus a career after college that | | | | to go out for pizza every once and a while, or |
| can be worth a million dollars over a lifetime. | | | | buy some nice clothes - just a little extra |
| Additionally, student athletes receive all kinds of | | | | spending cash as a way of saying "thanks" for |
| perks while they are in college, like staying at | | | | their efforts. |
| fancy hotels, being seen on national tv, and all of | | | | If for some reason college athletes could be paid, |
| the notoriety that goes with being a stare athlete. | | | | that opens up a whole new can of worms. All of |
| Its hard to put a price tag on all of that. | | | | the athletes on a football team with 125 players |
| However, considering the fact that certain college | | | | work very hard in practice, but only 11can start |
| sports generate millions of dollars for college | | | | on offense and defense - do you only pay the |
| athletic programs, many people believe the | | | | starters?. Additionally, if you were to pay more to |
| athletes are being used. If the average football | | | | the star quarterback than you do for an "ok" |
| scholarship is worth $20,000 per year, yet the | | | | receiver, you are going to run into a lot of other |
| university gains $70,000 per year in revenue per | | | | problems. Having said this, the first thing you want |
| scholarship player (please note that this figure is | | | | to avoid with paying college athletes is student |
| just an estimate - the actual number may actually | | | | athletes squabbling how much money they earn |
| be higher), the university will profit $50,000 per | | | | or should earn, which happens frequently in the |
| year, per scholarship player, or $200,000 over a | | | | NFL. |
| four year period. | | | | The second thing you want to avoid is an uneven |
| It is very difficult to put a numeric value on | | | | playing field. While some colleges at the division I |
| exactly how much an athlete is worth to a | | | | level could afford to pay athletes, many simply |
| college. A star quarterback will not only help sell | | | | don't bring in enough revenue. If a student athlete |
| tickets, but will bring in plenty of merchandise | | | | knows he can earn more at USC than he will if he |
| sales as well. The NCCA won't allow the | | | | plays for his state university, then the playing field |
| universities to sell a college football jersey with a | | | | becomes more uneven than it already is. Athletes |
| player's name on it, but they will sell the jersey | | | | would almost always choose the "money schools" |
| with the player's number on it, which is easily | | | | over other colleges. Technically, this happens |
| recognizable in local, and sometimes national | | | | today more than people realize, because colleges |
| markets. The major colleges earn enormous | | | | with the most tradition, best coaches, and the |
| sums of money on this kind of merchandise | | | | best records are usually the colleges with the |
| alone, yet the student athlete who's number is | | | | most money...but, if one college could afford to |
| being used to sell merchandise will not see one | | | | pay more to athletes than other colleges, the |
| dime of the profits. To say that the student | | | | playing field would be even more uneven. |
| athlete isn't being exploited in this situation is an | | | | If you are going to start paying athletes, all of the |
| understatement. | | | | athletes need to be paid the same amount of |
| It goes way beyond that. College athletic | | | | money, and all of the colleges would need to have |
| programs rake in millions from television and | | | | the same amount of money to pay their athletes |
| advertising contracts. They also bring in millions of | | | | with, which could be pre-determined by the |
| dollars of donations from sports boosters. Yes, | | | | NCAA. Even if this amount was a small amount |
| salaries need to be paid to athletic directors and | | | | like $1,000 PER YEAR, per player (which totals |
| coaches, not to mention travel and other costs | | | | ($125,000 per year for a college football team |
| for the student athletes, and it is great that | | | | with 125 players), paid every month during the |
| major college football and basketball programs | | | | school year, it would be a lot more fair to the |
| help fund non-revenue athletic programs. | | | | student athletes...and most colleges at the Division |
| However, the fact of the matter is that, | | | | I level could certainly afford it. For the few |
| compared to the amount of revenue that student | | | | colleges that couldn't afford it, the NCAA could |
| athletes generate for their colleges, what they | | | | always put up the extra money out of the millions |
| receive in return is very small. | | | | it generates from the bowl game. Another |
| Here's where it gets really interesting. An athlete | | | | alternative would be to cut the salaries of every |
| can be "disciplined" for selling their tickets to a fan | | | | executive of the NCAA who has gotten rich off |
| on game day, yet how much money do the | | | | of NCAA athletics by 25%- and give the |
| directors of the NCAA earn as a result of the | | | | difference to the athletes... |
| efforts of the student athletes? The reality is that | | | | Most of this article focused on college football |
| the college athletes quite literally pay for a large | | | | programs. The revenues that are generated from |
| portion of the salaries of every person employed | | | | basketball programs are even more staggering, |
| by the NCAA. If an executive from the NCAA is | | | | considering that the teams, are smaller, the travel |
| able to drive a Mercedes, he can thank a star | | | | expenses are less expensive, and that fewer |
| quarterback or running back for that, and perhaps | | | | scholarships need to be handed out, making the |
| even several walk ons. | | | | profits that the NCAA earns from college |
| So here is the point: if the NCAA, coaches, and | | | | basketball programs even more staggering. |
| athletic directors can earn huge sums of money | | | | |
