In the final game of March Madness, the UConn narrowly won against Kentucky, an exciting game for fans and a $1 billion money maker for CBS and Turner Broadcasting, according to Forbes.
Though March Madness might be over, the enormous sum of money made off college sports has spurred discussions of whether student athletes should continue to be regarded as amateurs, or if they should receive salaries.
Where does the line between education and salary lie? If college athletes start to get paid, their education becomes a job, not something athletes go after because the school of choice is academically what they want. Soon the kind of money they can make will take precedence and academics will fall behind even further.
Athletic directors recently voted down the NCAA’s proposal of starting student athletes with a pay of $2,000 each.
This number is not outrageous, but just remember once the NCAA starts paying athletes, the amounts of money will continue to increase to ridiculous proportions.
While there is no denying college football and basketball teams help fund less profitable athletic programs, like lacrosse and tennis, it would be unfair for some student athletes to earn money if others didn’t.
Most people would consider college basketball and football players arguing for a salary a legitimate issue, but a college swimmer or cross country runner desiring pay would most likely be laughed at.
These college athletes work just as hard, but you don’t hear arguments demanding pay for athletic programs outside of football and men’s basketball.
College athletes already receive scholarships covering $15,000 to $25,000 in tuition per year, fees, on-campus housing, board and textbooks, according to the NCAA website.
This doesn’t even include the benefits Division I student athletes get, such as expert coaching, clothing, medical consultations, access to state-of-the-art training facilities and invaluable professional development that encompasses public relations, national TV exposure and networking opportunities.
Some student athletes argue they deserve to be paid for playing on college teams because they do not have time to get a job to afford outings with friends and shopping.
Average college students with minimum-wage jobs deal with these problems as well, but their wage goes toward rent, tuition and food, things covered by athletic scholarships.
Learning to deal with these minor inconveniences is just part of being a college student and student athletes would be getting an unfair advantage over other students if they were paid.
Just graduating from college without debt is an excellent advantage student athletes should not take for granted.
Currently in the United States, it seems sports are taking a priority over education.
Education standards would lower even more if athletes choose their colleges based on what school pays the most money.
“Rather than push college athletics further and further from academics, we need to bring it closer,” said Mark Emmert, President of the NCAA.
Already, D1 athletes usually choose their school based on its game records, rather than by its academic offerings.
Adding a salary to the decision makes it an even more uneven battle field for smaller schools, because universities with higher revenue would be able to buy the best players for their teams, leaving small universities in the dust.
“The vast majority of college basketball players never make it to the pros—under 100 out of about 5,000 athletes—and an all-expenses paid degree provides a much better incentive than a paycheck,” said Emmert.
College athletic programs need to care more about their players and educate them about careers in broadcasting, analyzing and other applicable fields, since not every player can be a pro.
Instead of using athletes for university wins, athletic programs must focus on making their players more well rounded.
“We want to make sure they get degrees, and that they really have the education that sets them up for life,” Emmert said. “Not the 3 to 4 percent who make it to the NBA.”
When debating with your friends whether or not college athletes should be paid, keep in mind the benefits those athletes already receive, unfair revenue advantages between schools and prioritizing education before choosing your stance.
