Why paying college student-athletes is not as easy as it seems.

One question that remains fresh on sports fans’ minds before, during, and after any college sports season is whether or not the athletes should be paid for their play.

A recent New York Times article describes the situation from an outside point-of-view. Multiple factors play a role in this massive question that seems to loom over current college sports.

• Does compensating college athletes balance the risk of injury while playing?
• Just how much money do college sports programs bring in to the school?
• Will players who believe they should be paid protest college sports?

College athletes engage in countless hours of practice and games in order to contribute to their respective teams. This article describes a recent injury to one of men’s college basketball’s best players: Zion Williamson. Williamson, a five-star recruit, chose to attend Duke University in hopes of hearing his name called on NBA draft night. In a recent Duke Blue Devils game, Williamson’s shoe ripped, causing a right knee injury to the elite prospect. Zion Williamson, a projected top two draft pick, almost had his career ended in a regular season basketball game. If this injury was something as serious as a torn ACL (very common among basketball players), he may not have been drafted as high or even at all.

Writer Jeremy Engle illustrates how a possible salary to players would offset potential injury to high-level players. Engle also explains the economical view of the school. Duke, a high division-1 school, is sponsored by Nike. The athletics company gives millions of dollars to the University in order for their players to wear Nike shoes and jerseys. This money is not divided up. It is given back to the program and none of it goes to the players.

NBA athletes have begun to speak out against college athletics, stating that players should protest and not play until they receive compensation. One NBA player, Demarcus Cousins, even went as far as to bash the NCAA in a post-game interview. “College basketball and the NCAA is bulls—…there’s so many risks involved to get to the ultimate goal.” One might argue that Cousins has a point, where some might argue he is hypocritical. Cousins attended the University of Kentucky and was drafted fifth overall in the 2010 NBA draft.

Why Everyone Loses With Paying College Athletes

A world where the NCAA is forced to pay their student-athletes is one that would ruin college sports, according to Cody J. McDavis. He is the author of a New York Times article and former Division-1 athlete that argues against the possible rule change.

Paying college students to play sports is not financially possible with most schools. “A handful of big sports programs would pay top dollar for a select few athletes, while almost every other college would get caught in a bidding war it couldn’t afford.” McDavis explains his reasoning behind his claim that college athletes should be happy with scholarships.

• Only the top Division-1 schools get the best players.
• Is free tuition not enough?
• Only 27 out of 350 D-1 schools were profitable.

According to McDavis, only a small sample of schools would even get the chance to offer money to its possible players. Many top prospects come from families in need. The players would choose the highest pay in order to help their families. This lack of available compensation would cause players to choose only the most profitable schools, cheating smaller schools of the chance to sign and enroll a top prospect.

College Athletes are Worth More than any Scholarship can Offer

Art Caden, associate professor of economics at Samford University, preaches that these athletes are worth millions to their respective schools. In a Forbes article discussing the value of college players, Caden brings up the scrutiny players endure and how they are not compensated adequately.

• Do professional athletes require professional salaries?
• An athlete’s priorities
• Why even go to college?

Caden focuses on Stanford University star running back Bryce Love in his article. The college athlete draws huge crowds of people who watch in awe at his play. Art Caden quotes former Stanford grad and economist Damon Jones-“You demand professionalism, pay professional salaries.”

As discussed in the Forbes article, athletes are criticized if they do not live and breathe sports. Star running back Bryce Love, a human-biology major, intended to graduate the following winter. Love skipped a PAC-12 media day in order to attend class, for which he was then criticized for his absence.

The emphasis for these star athletes is clearly athletics over education. Art Caden argues for change in this sense. An athlete should be awarded for their dedication to further their education, yet Bryce Love was criticized for his priorities. With current scrutiny over an athlete’s priorities, why should they even be required to attend college if it is just a bridge to pro sports?

But is it Fair to Pay Players?

According to an article written by Matthew Brooks, student at Drexel University, NCAA players not receiving endorsements or any pay besides tuition should be outlawed. The article speaks from the viewpoint of a student currently enrolled in a Division-1 school. It is important to note that this was also published in a student-run editorial based out of Drexel University (more information on the editorial can be found here).

• Salaries of coaches
• Revenue of sports
• Chance of Injury

As reported in the article, University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban made over $11 million this past season. Brooks explains this as malpractice of the school’s money. The author questions the justice of having officials of the team making well over the amount of tuition offered to athletes.

While no specific numbers are provided regarding revenue, the article discusses the profit of big name schools and their sports programs conceptually. Matthew Brooks questions the NCAA’s strict rules prohibiting athletes from self-marketing, arguing that athletes would stay to play at their school longer if they were able to make money.

At the peak of concerns for a college athlete is the high risk of injury, regardless of the sport. From concussions to torn ACLs, athletes face the dangers of playing every time they step on the field or court. Adding pay would possibly even out this risk to allow players to be more comfortable and confident.

It Truly is a “Sticky” Situation

The decision of whether or not college athletes should receive compensation for their play is not one that can be answered easily. Simply put, the dilemma is one filled with opinions of many backgrounds and beliefs. From newspapers to magazines to student editorials, there are multiple arguments for either side. This question has lingered around college sports for decades, and it does not seem to be moving in either direction. Schools with profit would be able to pay their players, but that would also mean they would have to cut programs/plans that would have been funded by the profits. Smaller schools would increase their debt. Yet these players devote huge chunks of their lives training and practicing in order to play college sports. Playing in college is a great way for these amateur athletes to get exposure to possibly play at the next level. This situation is one filled with many side-streets of arguments and information. Fans, officials, schools, and most importantly players of college sports will have to wait for this argument to be worked out completely.

Works Cited:

Engle, Jeremy. “Should College Athletes Be Paid?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Feb. 2019, http://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/learning/should-college-athletes-be-paid.html.

Mcdavis, Cody J. “Paying Students to Play Would Ruin College Sports.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Feb. 2019, http://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/25/opinion/pay-college-athletes.html?module=inline.

Carden, Art. “College Athletes Are Worth Millions. They Should Be Paid Like It.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 26 July 2018, http://www.forbes.com/sites/artcarden/2018/07/26/college-athletes-are-worth-millions-they-should-be-paid-like-it/#5ce768e1452e

“College Athletes Deserve to Be Paid for Their Play.” The Triangle, 1 June 2018, http://www.thetriangle.org/opinion/college-athletes-deserve-to-be-paid-for-their-play/.

Gaines, Cork. “The 27 Schools That Make at Least $100 Million in College Sports.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 25 Nov. 2017, http://www.businessinsider.com/schools-most-revenue-college-sports-texas-longhorns-2017-11.

Thenoelforte. “About The Triangle, Drexel’s Independent Student Newspaper.” The Triangle, http://www.thetriangle.org/about/.