He has 30 years of experience in higher education as a university administrator and faculty member and teaches writing at Johns Hopkins University. Its regulations state, "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 [or] used your athletics skill for pay in any form in that sport. The exposure student-athletes bring to their schools can boost applications and donations. Group licensing deals in theory can allow lesser-known players to reap the benefits of appearing alongside a well-known player. If college athletes were to get paid, then large, well-funded schools such as those of the Power Five would be best positioned to acquire top talent and gain a competitive advantage. The main argument in favor of paying college athletes is that they bring in a large net amount of revenue to their schools. It would eliminate the line between amateur and professional sports. WebWhy College Athletes Should Not Be Paid Compensation Conundrum. As it stands, NCAA athletes are allowed to receive scholarships that cover their college tuition and 2021, the NCAA was composed of [n]early half a million college athletes [who] make up the 19,886 teams that send more than 57,661 participants to compete each year in the NCAAs 90 championships in 24 sports across 3 divisions.. If colleges and universities pay their athletes, there is a fear that resources will only go to popular, revenue-generating sports. Introduced in February by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the bill promises to be one of the most expansive yet in terms of getting college athletes officially recognized as employees. Divisions II and III of the NCAA followed suit and the changes went into effect for all three divisions on July 1, 2021. Sometimes money is needed. Historically, the debates over paying college athletes have only led to more questions, which is why its raged on for more than a century. 31, 2021 as the NCAA March Madness tournament headed into Final Four games just days later, on Apr. The Department of Education reported that college athletic programs collected $14 billion in total revenue in 2019, up from $4 billion in 2003. A decision is expected in June 2021. Nine other NCAA executives were paid more than $500,000 in 2018, with one paid more than $1.3 million. Is it unfair? [31], If students were paid, the NCAA argues, many colleges and universities would have to offer fewer scholarships and the remaining scholarships would be distributed unfairly to top football and mens basketball players because those two sports bring in the most revenue. NCAA mens basketball players have even slimmer odds of playing in a major professional league (1.2%), while the chances of a professional career are particularly grim for women basketball players, at a mere 0.8%. [32] Discrepancies between mens and womens sports such as the weight room during the 2021 NCAA basketball tournament would only worsen. According to the NCAA, in 2019, the 65 Power Five schools exceeded revenue by $7 million, while all other Division I colleges had a $23 million deficit between expenses and revenue. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. That's just the institutional side of it. In Cowherds words: I dont think paying all college athletes is great Not every college is loaded, and most 19-year-olds [are] gonna spend itand lets be honest, theyre gonna spend it on weed and kicks! Limits on Paying College Athletes, nytimes.com, Dec. 16, 2020, Dennis Dodd, Breaking Down the NCAA's Forthcoming Supreme Court Battle with Its Big Brother Status and Amateurism at Stake, cbssports.com, Feb. 3, 2021, NCAA, 2021 March Madness: Complete Schedule, Dates, ncaa.org (accessed Mar. In all likelihood, paying college athletes will benefit big-time, revenue-generating sports and hurt less popular sports. In theory, wouldnt it bring problems between players, due to one teammate potentially receiving more money? WebAccording to the same article, A majority 52% of black respondents are strongly or somewhat in favor of paying college athletes, while only 15% strongly or somewhat California was the first state to pass a NIL (name, image, and likeness) law, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2023. That adds up to about $400,000 a year. College athletic programs collected $14 billion in total revenue in 2019, not including income from broadcasting rights and corporate sponsorships.. This argument holds true especially for football and basketball players, In a unanimous decision issued on June 21, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled the NCAA cannot bar universities from making education-related payments to student-athletes. College athletes may also play a second sport professionally and be compensated, such as Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker who earned a $1.4 million baseball signing bonus from the Colorado Rockies in 2010 while still playing football for the Tigers. Takeaway: Paying student-athletes could potentially give them an incentive to stay in their institution, as schools will probably lock them into a contract. Others will mimic as they try to keep up but eventually will fall short in trying to outbid Auburn University, Florida State, the University of Southern California or the University of Texas in the college player arms race. [33], The reality is that the vast majority of college athletes will never play professionally. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public. WebPro According to N.C.A.A. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. For example, will the star quarterback receive the same amount as the backup catcher on the softball team? Paying college athletes will likely not totally eliminate corruption from college sports, but putting athletes in a less-precarious financial position would be a good step toward avoiding external influence, especially when you consider some of the players involved in the University of Toledo point-shaving scandal were paid as little as $500. A likely scenario would involve universities cutting minor sports to pay athletes competing in the marquee sports. Takeaway: College athletes learn less than regular students. The NCAA, colleges, and universities profit unfairly from the work and likenesses of college athletes. The difference is less pronounced among females, with non-athletes averaging a 3.24 GPA and recruited women athletes at 3.18. By Jan. 2022, without a clear NIL structure from the NCAA, some schools were questioning how to navigate deals for players or whole teams without violating NCAA policy. [38] These rules can effectively limit players options to playing in college or choosing another profession altogether. Should they receive more because they were All-Americans? Some argue that paying student-athletes will make way for a more transparent usage of NCAAs revenue. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken), Black Americans Support Paying College Athletes. How should the NCAA (or another governing body) balance college athletes sport, educational, and financial interests? No Division II or III schools revenue exceeded expenses. Not likely from the school itself. WebTwo writers take opposing sides in the debate over paying college athletes 4. A weighty argument against paying college athletes is that not all sports are popular. What if the coach's son plays on the team? Why or why not? The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) generates eleven billion dollars annually, some of which could, and should go to college athletes. Students from these institutions are given full sponsorship from enormous brands. Aaron M. Sprecher/AP. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/learning/should-college-athletes-be-paid.html. However, if the situation is similar with the football team of Northwestern University, schools would have access to raw sports talents. NCAA is a non-profit organization. [45], On June 30, 2021, fewer than 12 hours before some states NIL laws went into effect, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors issued an interim ruling stating that Bylaw 12 (the rules that say athletes cannot receive payment) will not be enforced. College football players should not be treated as professional football teams. The NCAA is seemingly the final authority to decide whether college athletes should be paid to play college sports. WebThe NCAA has long contended that players are "student-athletes," not employees. He writes about the future of work and higher education, student political activism, and expanding educational opportunities. Not So Much. These also happen to be the highest revenue-generating sports in college athletics. The savings from the athletes collegiate career should be enough to allow the college athlete to pay for his education in the event that he/she would want to shift his/her focus on academics than on sports. Nathan Brunner is a labor market expert. Here Are Some Pros and Cons, Should College Athletes Be Paid? He is the owner of Salarship, a job search engine where less-skilled candidates can find accessible employment opportunities. This would also help keep top talents playing for college teams, improve the level of competition, and potentially lead to even higher revenue. Its a legitimate question, said Ramogi Huma, the founder and president of the College Athletes Players Association, an advocate for players rights. Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, stated, traditions alone cannot justify the NCAAs decision to build a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated. What good will the athletes scholarship do when he cant find time to work on them? A 2019 Seton Hall Sports Poll found that 60% of those surveyed agreed that college athletes should be allowed compensation for their name, image, and/or likeness, while 32% disagreed, and 8% were unsure. If colleges paid athletes even close to their worth, they would provide an incentive for the athletes to stay in college and earn degrees, rather than leaving college for a paycheck. According to the NCAA, the organization provides more than $3.6 billion in athletic scholarships annually to more than 180,000 student-athletes. Divided equitably, each student would receive about $20,000 per year. The average athletic scholarship is roughly $18,000. In other words, it would be more prudent and more profitable for college athletes to focus on education as their compensation. WebCon 2: Not Every Sports Team Brings in the Same Value True: The majority of money generated by the NCAA goes to scholarships for Division I and II athletes evenly. [12] The Supreme Court heard arguments on Mar. University administrator and faculty member and teaches writing at Johns Hopkins University there is a fear that resources will go... From enormous brands III schools revenue exceeded expenses and faculty member and writing! A more transparent usage of NCAAs revenue boost applications and donations in a large net amount of revenue to schools! 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