Dylan Arnett

Mr. Jay Gross

English 12 B (1) 2016
May 6 2016
Paying College Athletes
In the current state of college athletics, athletes are not allowed to receive allowance for
playing a sport. College athletes must receive payment for playing any college sport. College
athletes have very little spending money which can lead to issues (as in Ohio States Football
team), which made them vulnerable to under the table bribes (Hruby, Patrick). Also, colleges
make a substantial amount of money from broadcasting games and selling team merchandise, so
it is only fair athletes get a share ( |, Michael Wilbon). Division III colleges are sometimes
private colleges, which means they are more expensive to attend, this is especially bad for
athletes who go to these colleges because Division III colleges do not give athletic scholarships
(National). However, paying athletes could lead to even more controversy, and make sports
more about money than the actual sport. Issues that could arise from paying athletes could be
dealt with individually. Paying college athletes should become regulated and end the
controversy.
Athletes from the football program at Ohio State are not given payment, because of this,
they were susceptible to under the table bribes. They traded their Championship rings for
tattoos and cash. The selling of these rings was against National College Athletic Association or
the NCAA rules (Hruby, Patrick). It is obvious these athletes chose to break the rules because
they had no extra spending money. The time spent in classes, homework, and practice leaves
very little time for even a part-time job. Also, some of the salaries per year that the elite coaches

make can be more than an executive of a fortune five company. For example Brady Hoke of the
University of Michigan football program makes $4.15 million per year, but he isnt even the
highest paid college football coach, in fact he is only number eight. The highest paid college
football coach is Nick Saban of Alabama, who makes over $5.55 million per year (Gaines,
Cork). This is based on the performances of the athletes and the ratings of the team. Comparing

the amount that Nick Saban of Alabama makes, the average household in America makes about
$51,000 a year, that means Nick Saban makes one hundred and eight times more than the
average American household does a year (How Much Do Americans Earn). Instead of paying the
coaches so much, diverting some of the money of the coaches to the players would help these
black market and under table bribes come to an end since college athletes would now have
money to spend on things they want, so they would no longer have to take under the table
bribes.
Also, colleges make a large amount of money from broadcasting games and selling team
merchandise, so it is only fair that athletes get a portion of that money. There is a tremendous
amount of money made from the advertisements ( |, Michael Wilbon). The universities make
huge profits off all the team merchandise sold with athletes names and number (US News). An
example of this is a Michigan jersey with the #16 on it would sell for $54.99 and a jersey with
the #16 and D. Robinson on it would sell for $104.95 (Michigan Wolverines). Athletes should
get an allowance. All of this would not happen without the athletes! Paying athletes would also
provide them with a different incentive to do well, which would help boost sales and put more
money into the college. The chart below shows how college revenue in the University of Texas
has more than doubled from $80.7 million in 2005 to over $163.3 million in 2012. However
scholarships for the most part have not increased like the revenue has, scholarships has went

from $5.7 million in 2005 to only $9.4 million in 2012. The athletes are the only reason a
revenue of $163.3 million is possible to achieve, without the athletes in the program there is no
team. Without a team fans will not come to games which will therefore eliminate the revenue of
athletics at the University of Texas. Colleges are supposed to prepare students for the future, the
best way to do this is to pay them for services athletes provide. (NCAA Athletes Should Get
Paid)

Most Division III colleges are private colleges which often times means they are more
expensive to attend, the athletes who attend these colleges can only receive academic
scholarships, not athletic scholarships. Debt is common among these athletes after college,
because they do not receive athletic scholarship money out of high school, so they are in
danger
of falling into debt since they have no source of income during their college years. Paying
college athletes would greatly help because these athletes are the ones who do not get
scholarship money and must pay the full expense to attend that college (National). Therefore,
athletes must get paid to play college sports.

If college athletes were to receive payment for a sport, throwing money in the mix will
only add even more controversy, and make sports more about money than the sport itself.
College athletes play the sport because it is a passion, it is not a job (The Other Side). More
issues will come about if paying college athletes will classify as a job. Such as vacation time,
workmen's compensation, weather or not health care is included with a full-time job and if it is
legal to go on strike. Besides the only sports that make money are mens football and basketball,
so only these players, if any deserve to be paid. These are the only two sports that make a profit,
so there is not enough money to pay all college athletes (Hruby, Patrick). However, although
there would be some questions and finer details for individual colleges to work out, college
athletes deserve to be paid for their athletic performances. Doing this will give them a jumpstart
on their future since they will have a little bit of cash to start making payments on college loans
and down payments on living quarters. This is only going to be made possible if colleges pay
their athletes.
College athletes must receive money for playing a sport in college. College athletes have
little money which can lead to problems for the athletes (Hruby, Patrick). Also all the revenue
from broadcasting and team merchandise only exists because of the product that is put out for
fans, in this case, the players ( |, Michael Wilbon). Most Division III colleges are private which
can mean that they are more expensive to attend, the college athletes that attend these colleges
receive no athletic scholarships. However if college athletics were to be paid, more issues and
controversy would follow. Any issues that would follow college athletes being paid would be
dealt with depending on the person. This is why college athletes must be paid.

Works Cited
US News. U.S.News & World Report, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-ncaa-athletes-be-paid>.
"The Other Side: College Athletes Shouldn't Be Paid." The Other Side: College Athletes
Shouldn't Be Paid. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.imprintmagazine.org/sports_and_recreation/other_side_college_athletes_shouldnt_
be_paid>.
Hruby, Patrick. "Should College Athletes Get Paid? Ending the Debate, Once and for
All." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 06 Apr. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/04/should-college-athletes-get-paidending-the-debate-once-and-for-all/236809/>.
|, Michael Wilbon. "College Athletes Deserve to Be paid." ESPN. ESPN Internet
Ventures, n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. <http://espn.go.com/collegesports/story/_/id/6778847/college-athlete>.
"NCAA Athletes Should Get Paid." Chocolate Covered Lies. N.p., 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 17
Feb. 2015. <http://www.chocolatecoveredlies.com/ncaa-athletes-should-get-paid/>.
National Letter of Intent, . "National Letter of Intent." NLI. N.p.. Web. 7 Jun 2013.
<http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/nli/nli/document library/athletic scholarship>.
"Michigan Wolverines Jersey - Michigan Jerseys - Wolverines Football Jersey - Authentic
Uniforms." Michigan Wolverines Jersey - Michigan Jerseys - Wolverines Football Jersey Authentic Uniforms. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.
Gaines, Cork. "The 25 Highest-Paid Coaches In College Football." Business Insider.
Business Insider, Inc, 23 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.

"How Much Do Americans Earn? Average Income Data for Individuals and Households.
Stagnant Income Growth for American Families." My Budget 360 RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb.
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