Argument Essay

Angela Tanzer                                                                                             1/16/14

707                                                                                             

            Should College Athletes Get Paid?

            For many years, college athletes have worked hard without earning any money at all, due to the NCAA rule that prevents players from getting paid. This has raised a highly argued debate among many. Some argue for their being paid, while some argue against it. The truth is, college athletes should get paid, because they need money to support themselves financially, even with basic needs and don’t get the chance to earn this money due to the current rules and conditions of being an athlete. It’s unfair to these athletes for many reasons—coping with ridiculous conditions including having other people making millions off of them, without getting a cent of it and being unable to have a job so they can support and take care of themselves.

            College athletes should get paid, because they need money to support themselves financially and currently don’t have enough money. Seth Davis, author of Hoop Thoughts says “Student-athletes generate billions of dollars for universities and private companies, while earning nothing for themselves.” To continue, while people like NCAA executives may be earning millions, college athletes’ financial situations are both desperate and in need of improvement. They can’t cover essential needs. The video Should College Athletes Get Paid, by Aaron Cheslock, discusses former tackle DJ Fluker, a player who led Alabama to a national title earning his school $82 million in revenue, and about $45 million in profit. And the video says about him “Fluker is a guy who's reportedly dealt with plenty of hardships such as poverty and homelessness.” Essentially, there is a clear problem. If he needed to do his laundry? He couldn’t. If he wanted to buy a bag of chips? He couldn’t. Thus, it is unjust that he, as well as many other college athletes have to live to such ridiculous, low standards and to have many issues in their lives. If DJ Fluker hadn’t been in college, he would have very likely been on the streets.

            A second reason why college athletes should get paid is because they have a major setback to earning money, which is not being able to hold a job. Tyson Harnett, author of Huffington Post article Why College Athletes Should Get Paid, Tyson Harnett, states “Contrary to what all the opponents believe, being an athlete is a full-time job. On a typical day, a player will wake up before classes, get a lift or conditioning session in, go to class until 3 or 4 p.m., go to practice, go to mandatory study hall, and then finish homework or study for a test.” They have no time at all with all these other duties to fulfill, on top of simple practice, with such a busy, vigorous day. Running back George Rogers was quoted in the video Should College Athletes Get Paid, saying “While kids with academic scholarships can go get a part-time jobs, students with athletic scholarships train and practice so often between classes, that a job just isn't feasible.” And he’s right—it’s not really an option for college athletes to get a job. They can’t do it unlike if they were an art student, in which case they could work a job in fairly easily. College athletes deserve a good quality of life and are not getting this in the current situation that they are in.

            On the other hand, some people disagree with the idea of paying college athletes.  Some colleges give various advantages to their athletes. In the article If You Want College Athletes to Get Paid Talk to the NFL and NBA, Jerry Dorfman of Forbes says, “Student athletes receive scholarships that cover tuition, room, and board, along with nutrition support, athletic coaching, medical attention… all free of charge.” It can’t be denied that at some colleges, scholarships cover the athletes with incredible, free services that they are lucky to have. It’s also true that it might be hard for all schools to be paying their players. But still, it’s an unequal balance. Athletes who get them don’t necessarily need amazing facilities—they need to make a living. If colleges spent less money on having nice facilities, there could be more to pay their players. Also, college athletes make a lot of money, which they get none. In the NBA video Should the NCAA Pay College Players? Greg Bishop says, “The NCAA can make money off of Johnny Menzel, the apparel companies can make money off of Johnny Menzel. The only person who isn’t allowed to make money off Johnny Menzel is Johnny Menzel.” So even if it was a tiny amount, college athletes should get some of the money they generate for their colleges, if they do.

            Overall, being a college athlete is a tough position to be in. Plenty of them grapple with issues like poverty and homelessness. They don’t have enough time to keep a job. And in all, they work really hard at their sports. And when there’s a problem like this, payment would definitely help it. At least, some type of solution or compromise needs to be made. Currently, that’s what many people are seeking out in the sports world.