Why College Athletes Should Be Paid

1. Matt Scharboneau Why College Athletes Should Be Paid

2. The Current System • As it stands today, student-athletes have to balance schoolwork, a social life and 35 hours a week in-season without having time to make money • Books, food and other expenses can be unattainable for some athletes without the ability to hold a job

3. The Current System (cont.) • University of Georgia football star A.J. Green was reprimanded by the NCAA for attempting to profit off the sale of his game-worn jersey while the university sells it in stores everywhere • Athletic departments can profit off merchandise, revenue and television contracts but refuse to reward those earning that money

4. Notable Statistics • The University of Texas, University of Michigan and University of Florida have earned as much as $42 million from football alone in one fiscal year • Additionally, at least 42 of 119 Division I-A football head coaches make more than $1 million annually

5. Statistics (cont.) • Sums of $226 million and $150 million were spent on facilities alone at the University of Michigan and University of Texas • All in all, the countless millions of dollars involved with college athletics are withheld from those producing the profit – the athletes themselves

6. The Education Myth • A popular argument among proponents of the current system states that student-athletes receive their compensation in the form of a “free education” • While most athletic scholarships do cover tuition costs, they are of no use if the athletes aren’t graduating

7. Poor Graduation Rates • As of 2009, black basketball players were graduating at a rate of 54% while black football players were only at 58% • Conversely, white athletes in both sports were graduating at a 76% clip • If only slightly more than half of a large portion of the student-athlete base is not graduating, the “free education” is almost completely useless

8. Pay For Play? • A rigid pay-for-play plan doesn’t seem to be in the works any time soon, but other methods of compensation are possible • For example, establishing a fund that can only be accessed after student-athletes graduate could provide incentive to earn a degree while still providing compensation down the road

9. Additional Solutions • A 2011 summer conference is scheduled for various university presidents and chancellors in which they will discuss the contents of a plan that involves the merits of using the money generated by athletic departments towards programs that help student-athletes graduate and also prepare them for careers after sports

10. Boycott • The idea of a widespread, massive student-athlete boycott is far-fetched but would do wonders for establishing change in the NCAA policy • It would be difficult to organize and execute, but the idea would likely be extremely effective and could potentially happen down the road

11. Conclusion • All in all, the fight for a payment plan for college athletes is a struggle that will be ongoing for years to come • With NCAA higher-ups greedier than ever, establishing pay-for-play principles will be an extremely difficult task but one that has an exciting future