Playing a sport in college: Are you an athlete or an employee? There is a heated debate over whether or not college students should be paid for playing a sport when they are generating revenue for the school; as millions of viewers watch these sports on television every day. Many will argue that athletes are entitled to some of this revenue; however, they are already compensated in many ways. Since these athletes are actually paid in many other ways, they should not be paid money like employees.
Many people will argue that athletes are entitled to some revenue that the school receives because of the sport that they play. If it wasn’t for the athlete, schools would not generate the money that they do from sports that are watched by millions of viewers. However, the school needs this money for the free education that they are providing the athlete. According to Institute for College Access & Success, in the state of Pennsylvania 71 percent of students leave a public four-year institution or private non-profit four-year institution in debt.
Although, it is true that the athletes generate an ample amount of money for the school, they also cost the school a lot of money. They are paid by the free education that they are receiving and have an advantage over non-athletes that have to pay off student loans for several years after starting their career. This sets up the athlete for their future and gives them kind of a head start on things. The education that is given for free puts the school into debt. The average debt is $32,528. The education that is provided to the athlete most likely exceeds what the school is generating in revenue for just one player. Therefore, it is clear that players do not need to be paid like an employee.
As a matter of fact, Athletes do not need to be paid because they are already compensated by the school for the sport that they play. Athletic scholarships are their compensation and a fair one at that. Essentially they receive a free education and in return they represent the school in a certain sport. College athletes don’t have to worry about student loans, paying for textbooks, the cost of on-campus living, and meal plans. The athlete’s efforts pay off for them even if they are not paid anything to play the sport.
The argument can be made that the opportunity to both receive an education and get the exposure to win a major professional contract more than compensates NCAA athletes for their efforts. With that being said, you can see that technically athletes are paid for the sport that they play in many ways. In conclusion, athletes should not be paid for the sport that they play in college. Although some will argue that they deserve the money that the school makes off of them, the truth is that the players are already being compensated. Yes, the school is generating money because several million people are viewing these sports; however, the school is already providing the athlete with not only a free education, but better opportunities for their future. The athlete is only putting in their hard efforts as they should to secure a successful future for themselves.
