One of the most controversial and talked about debates in all sports is whether or not college athletes should be paid or able to make money. There are many different thoughts and arguments supporting both that they should, or that they should not. Let’s break it down.
Should college athletes be paid?
April 2nd, 2018; the date of the championship of the biggest tournament in college sports, March Madness. Michigan vs Villanova. Each ticket in a sold-out stadium, cheapest going for $312 because of the spotlight of the game. Both coaches on the sidelines making more than $3.5 million dollars a year. Streaming all across television. All this and the players are not making a single penny?
It does not seem right. In 2018, Alabama was set to play Georgia in the NCAAF Championship. At the end of the year, it was set as the 6th most-watched game in the U.S and just short of fifth. So, bringing up the question, should college athletes be paid? Yes.
The answer, YES!
Student-athletes do not have easy lives. Separating from their families for years, students have to balance a steady GPA, and commit most of their time to their sport and team. Not just team games. Students need to practice and do individual work each and every day because if they do not maintain the best play level they can. If they don’t, they can ruin everything.
Imagine the pressure to commit fully to your team, your family watching you from home hoping you do well. It’s not as easy as one may think. The teams that the students play for are making an incredible amount of money. The average college coach makes about $2.7 million a year. As they are doing a job and coaching, the student is the one doing all the work. Playing the games, putting their bodies on the line.
Students deserve payment. Whether it’s the commitment, the workouts, or the money they are bringing in, there needs to be some type of payment method for the athletes because they deserve it.