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Savan PatelProfessor ByrdFocused Inquiry 111November 8, 2014Rewarding College AthletesOne of the most controversial topics in all of sports relates to college athletes. College sports is a growing, billion dollar industry, in which millions of college students and sports fans partake in their favorite team’s games. Millions of dollars of revenue are brought in from college sports, whether it is baseball or football, or basketball or softball. Not only does the college make a huge sum of money through their sports but also so do their coaches. Coaches’ salaries of these programs can range anywhere from six figures to millions. That raises the question of college athletes getting paid because if the coaches of these programs get paid for their good work, shouldn’t the athletes get something in return too?Alabama, one of the most popular colleges athletically, brings in annual revenue of $143 million, Nick Saban, the head coach of Alabama’s football program gets paid a salary of $6.9 million a year (Business Insider). Alabama consistently has one of the top ranked football programs in the nation thanks to Nick Saban’s recruiting system. As popular as the program is, shouldn’t the athletes who make it such a renowned program be able to reap some benefits off of it? Not only are the athletes physically playing their sport, but they’re also dedicating time and energy from their college life and showing a commitment to the sport, a commitment that should be rewarded. Not only can college students not earn playing sports, they cannot benefit from any endorsement deals from any companies either. Popular athletes such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James in the NBA sign deals with popular shoe companies that give them 9 digit payouts yet college athletes aren’t allowed to earn a single penny from companies who are looking for them to promote their products. Although college athletes don’t get rewarded in a salary form, some get scholarship towards their college tuition, which some say is enough of a reward. An average Division 1 scholarship is worth around $25,000 (Huffington Post). Some would argue that $25,000 is a good way to reimburse a college athlete for their dedication to their respective program, but is it enough? A few other reasons why some think that college athletes shouldn’t be paid is because they feel that it is unfair to the college students who aren’t athletes. College athletes that receive scholarships get almost all their college expenses covered (housing, tuition, books, food, etc.), while a non-athletic student doesn’t get nearly as much covered even with their scholarships. Another reason why some feel that athletes shouldn’t be paid is because it unbalances competition in the world of sports. If athletes would be allowed to get paid, bigger colleges that bring in more revenue from sports such as Alabama, would be able to buy those athletes out and convince them to play for their college instead of a smaller college which could not offer athletes as much money as larger colleges would. Another reason athletes currently can’t be paid is because of the NCAA- Amateur contracts. These contracts are mandatory for any athlete that wants to participate in any division of sports (Division I, II, and III). The contracts state that the athletes are considered amateurs because they are students first of their respective college and athletes second. It also states a number of actions that a college athlete cannot perform such as practice with a professional team, be represented by an agent or even get any benefits from endorsement deals (NCAA). As long as a mandatory contract such as this exists, it wouldn’t be possible for college athletes to be paid for their effort. One of the most popular college-sporting events, also one that brings in one of the highest revenues, is March Madness. This is a basketball tournament that takes place during the springtime that includes college basketball teams from all around the nation. Since most of these games are televised and sponsored by channels looking to gain publicity, there is a lot of money to be made by these sponsors. If a company were looking to place an ad lasting 30 seconds during the final four, they would be expected to pay around $700,000 for that time slot (U.S. News). Now observing how ridiculously high that amount is, college athletes should ATLEAST be paid for any tournaments they partake in if not for their entire season they’re in the program. If professional athletes in popular leagues such as the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL get paid millions of dollars for their athletic skills, college sports should not be any different. It is understandable that professional teams bring in more revenue than most college sports programs but that doesn’t mean that those college athletes shouldn’t be given anything for their hard work. College athletes pour in an incredible amount of time and dedication to their respective sports. In return, some get scholarships that cover most of their college expenses, but for some athletes in certain programs, the reimbursement is not enough. Although paying athletes could seem unfair to non-athlete college students, athletes contribute more to their college by helping them bring in those revenues from their respective sport so they should get rewarded for it. Even if paying athletes has a chance of causing disruption to competition in certain sports due to larger colleges buying out the more skilled athletes, if limitations are put on how much money every college can spend a year to buy athletes, it would level the playing ground for every college. If not paying college athletes, they should at least get the chance to make an income off of endorsement deals from popular companies that are looking for famous figures. Athletes in college devote countless hours into their respective sports with practice, meetings, and playing seasonal games. Granted that they are considered students first and athletes second by the NCAA but its about time their effort gets rewarded. Works Cited“Should NCAA Athletes Be Paid?” . US News, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <, Tyson. “ Why College Athletes Should Be Paid.” , Huffington Post. 21 Oct. 2013.Web. 10 Nov. 2014. <tyson-hartnett/college-athletes-should-be-paid_b_4133847.htmlGaines, Cork. “Nick Saban’s Salary Is Getting Closer To That Of The Highest-Paid NFL Coaches” , Business Insider, 7 Nov. 2014. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. <nick-saban-sean-payton-salary-2014-11>“Amateurism” . NCAA, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014 <; ................
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