Last modified on January 21, 2022. Nathan Brunner is a labor market expert. Paying players would destroy that illusion, the N.C.A.A. He walked off the court, and did not return. Student-athletes bring in millions each year for their schools, but only recently have they begun to profit from the big business of college sports. [46], The University of North Carolina became the first school to organize group licensing deals for student athletes in July 2021. On the sidelines, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh (salary: $8 million) and his counterpart, Ryan Day (salary: $5.7 million), finalize their game plans. College athletes are young and full of enthusiasm and this makes the games very competitive because they play with heart and passion. Is it unfair? Very few college athletes will go pro, so athletes should take advantage of the education being offered in exchange for playing a college sport. Everyone around them makes money, but the students responsible for generating revenue receive nothing. Among whites, however, the numbers flip: Just 27% support paying those athletes, while 43% oppose it.. Takeaway: The elite 357 schools are the only ones taking the spotlight. He writes about the future of work and higher education, student political activism, and expanding educational opportunities. This article was published on January 21, 2022, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. This was quite a change from polling conducted in 2017, when 60% believed college scholarships were enough compensation for college athletes. The only people not receiving a paycheck are the stars of the show: the athletes. Does this rule apply to payment structures, too, though? Even as a former college athlete, I am at a point in my life where I can understand each side. Introduction The court fights between college athletes and the NCAA continue todaywhile not exactly about payment, a case regarding whether or not schools can offer athletes tens of thousands of dollars in education benefits such as computers, graduate scholarships, tutoring, study abroad, and internships was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in March 2021. Like other difficult questions, there are good arguments on both sides of the issue of paying college athletes. Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Do you think college athletes should be paid? He holds a master's degree from Columbia University and a 2023 BestColleges.com, a Red Ventures Company, The Public Ivies, Little Ivies, and Other Ivy League Equivalents, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, long-term effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, proportionate opportunities for scholarships, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. What if the coach's son plays on the team? Football and basketball players cannot play professionally immediately after high school. rules, college athletes are not to receive any windfall from any merchandise sold- even if they are the only reason people buy it. In short, most college athletes on scholarships aren't receiving a full ride. They insist that college athletes deserve their pay as they are more than just amateur athletes. 31, 2021 as the NCAA March Madness tournament heads into Final Four games just days later on Apr. As of Mar. In contrast, the likelihood of an NCAA athlete earning a college degree is significantly greater; graduation success rates are 86% in Division I, 71% in Division II and 87% in Division III. [34]. WebCollege athletes make their schools millions of dollars, so they should naturally receive a cut of the action. It is the latest chapter of an athlete rights movement that has generated What about the top level talent? At worst, it's chaotic and threatens team morale. The scene is played out nationwide that same day across dozens of U.S. college campuses packed stadiums, network contracts, apparel deals, wealthy coaches. rules, Duke is not compensating Williamson, an 18-year-old freshman, beyond a scholarship and the related costs of studying at, and playing for, the university. Do you think well-established minor-league systems would be attractive to high-school graduates and college athletes less interested in (or ill-prepared for) higher education? Similarly, if a team improves its win total by five games in a season, alumni donations go up 28%. Funding the student-athletes would be a massive shift in budget distribution. Last October, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina introduced the NIL Scholarship Tax Act, legislation seeking to tax the scholarships of college athletes earning more than $20,000 per year. In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law allowing college athletes in the state to sign endorsement deals with brands. The top 25 football coaches take home an average of $5.2 million, while the top 25 basketball coaches bring in $3.2 million. The Department of Education reported that college athletic programs collected $14 billion in total revenue in 2019, up from $4 billion in 2003. And under ordinary principles of antitrust law, it is not evident why college sports should be any different. I dont think you should stretch it out to hundreds of thousands of dollars for playing, because a lot of times guys dont know how to handle themselves with money. 1. If a student doesn't hold a part-time job, where does that money come from (besides their parents)? The same 60% now agree that college athletes need monetary compensation. How about only football and basketball players? The University of North Carolina became the first school to organize group licensing deals for student athletes in July 2021. Why Are There Nine Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court? Money will only add to this fact. 3, 2021), NCAA, NCAA Defends Scholarships for College Athletes, ncaaorg (accessed Mar. [13] [14] [41], Gabe Feldman, JD, Professor of Sports Law, Director of the Sports Law Program and Associate Provost for NCAA compliance at Tulane University, noted that the last time the NCAA was at the Supreme Court was in 1984 (NCAA vs. the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma). WebCollege athletics have received magnificent popularity among americans above the past few years.This has resulted into improved revenues for the (NCAA) then the taking part [21], Azmatullah Hussaini, MD, President of the New York/New Jersey chapter of the American Muslim Health Professionals, and Jules Lipoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, offered additional context: especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, [g]iven that athletes are disproportionately Black in the biggest revenue-generating sports football and basketball this dynamic also evokes Americas horrific history of unpaid slave labor. For BC, the effect was a 30% increase in applications over two years. College football players should not be treated as professional football teams. In theory, wouldnt it bring problems between players, due to one teammate potentially receiving more money? Perhaps the earliest group to examine the quandary was Andrew Carnegies Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, which produced a mammoth study in 1929 of amateur athletes and the profits they generate for their universities. The NCAA limits in-season practice time to 20 hours a week, but a 2008 NCAA report shows that in-season student-athletes commonly spent upward of 30 and 40 hours a week engaged in athletic activities.. Why, They Already Are Sports Illustrated, Theres No Crying in College: The Case Against Paying College Athletes Bleacher Report. This isnt something new. WebCollege athletes shouldnt be compensated for playing sports at the collegiate level, but for their advertisement and use of their names in video games and products. and shoe companies like Nike are taking advantage of college athletes like Williamson? College athletics provide big benefits for many schools: they increase their profile, generate millions of dollars in revenue, and have led to one of the most contentious questions in sports should college athletes be paid? That's why some colleges, such as the University of Southern California and Stanford University, opposed the bill. Since the ruling, college athletes have been cashing in on NIL deals, with a few resulting in seven-figure incomes. Rules," nytimes.com, June 30, 2021, Becky Sullivan, "UNC Becomes the First School to Organize Group Endorsement Deals for Its Players," npr.org, July 21, 2021, Josh Moody, "Lack of Clear-Cut NCAA Rules Creates Confusion about NIL," insidehighered.com, Jan. 4, 2022. One of the most common reasons cited against paying college players is compensation. 3. NCAA mens basketball players have even slimmer odds of playing in a major professional league (1.2%), while the chances of a professional career are particularly grim for women basketball players, at a mere 0.8%. Takeaway: College is expensive. Just because there are rules prohibiting the compensation of college athletes doesnt mean it doesnt happen, and over the years there have been numerous scandals. Theres a feeling that paying college athletes sends the wrong message and incentivizes them to focus on athletics instead of academics, when the reality is that very few college athletes will go on to play sports professionally. The decision also opened the door for name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation. Anyone can read what you share. He is the owner of Salarship, a job search engine where less-skilled candidates can find accessible employment opportunities. In 41 states, the highest-paid public employee is a football or basketball coach. The age-old debate over whether college athletes should get paid is still alive and well. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken), Black Americans Support Paying College Athletes. The big question is:what are the arguments for and against paid college athletes? Consider the pro position of the National College Players Association that paying college athletes is a civil rights issue. 1, 2021), Colin Dwyer, California Governor Signs Bill Allowing College Athletes to Profit from Endorsements, npr.org, Sep. 30, 2019, Rudy Hill and Jonatha D. Wohlwend, Florida Law Will Allow College Athletes to Profit from Name, Image, and Likeness Starting Summer 2021, June, 25, 2020, Ben Pickman, Colorado Governor Signs Bills Allowing NCAA Athletes to Profit Off Name, Likeness, si.com, Mar. Another argument in favor of paying student-athletes is that these students sacrifice their studies to play at a competitive level. For example, fair market value for a University of Texas football player was $513,922. A 2011 study published by the National College Players Association (NCPA) found that an overwhelming number of students on full athletics scholarships live below the federal poverty line85% of athletes who live on campus and 86% athletes who live off-campus. Part of HuffPost News. Will all college athletes get compensated equally? Takeaway: College athletes learn less than regular students. The exposure student-athletes bring to their schools can boost applications and donations. If the bill passes, the law will go into effect on January 1, 2023. And ever since that 1984 decision, courts have been relying on that language to try to interpret antitrust law applies to all NCAA restrictions, including player compensation. [15], On June 21, 2021, the US Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the NCAA cannot ban certain payments to student athletes under the premise of maintaining amateurism. To continue to risk his future in an unjust system that doesnt allow him to be compensated just doesnt make sense, Huma said. Programs like football and mens basketball would likely benefit greatly, but smaller, unprofitable sports such as gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling could find themselves at best cash-strapped and, at the worst, cut altogether. However, in 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Play Act that allows college athletes to hire agents, sign endorsement deals, and be paid for the use of their likeness. 31, 2021 as the NCAA March Madness tournament headed into Final Four games just days later, on Apr. Is it racial? According to the same article, A majority 52% of black respondents are strongly or somewhat in favor of paying college athletes, while only 15% strongly or somewhat oppose the idea. In 2018, NCAA president Mark Emmert was paid more than $2.7 million. From a students point of view, paying college athletes will alter their college experience. What determines how much each player should earn? If college students challenge this prohibition, they will no longer be qualified to participate in any of the events organized by the NCAA. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. College students should participate in sports for the love of the game, not for financial gain, following the long-forgotten credo held dear by Olympic athletes. While this is something admirable, WebThe case decided Monday covered whether athletes can be paid for their services, beyond the basic cost of attendance, and whether the NCAA's rules against it violate antitrust laws. But I do find it interesting as to why so many are widely opposed to this idea. Some 107,000 spectators have packed the "Big House," paying an average ticket price of $141. Furthermore, only two major sports (basketball and football) are making significant amounts of money some dont generate any or are purely just expenses. Folks in California think so. College sports, particularly football, are a big deal and a big business. Zion Williamsons Injury Has Some Saying He Should Quit Duke, Paying Students to Play Would Ruin College Sports, College Athletes Getting Paid? The highest-paid college football coachthe University of Alabamas Nick Sabanearns $9.3 million a year and is the highest-paid public employee in the country. Its not just the time commitment that playing college athletics puts on student-athletes, its the risk to their health. [29] [30], Further, most college programs do not generate the income needed to run their athletic programs, much less pay athletes. [18] [19], Michael Sokolove, author of The Last Temptation of Rick Pitino (2018), explained, If you look at a program like [University of] Louisville, they generate about $45 million a year in revenue. This is something that has been a growing issue in recent years. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Takeaway: Athletes bring in a huge portion of educational institutions income. It would only be fair to compensate for this loss of knowledge with a decent revenue. They give out 13 scholarships. Overall, the average Division I player is worth $170,098 per year with the 351 Division I basketball programs taking in more than 4.5 million in revenue on average each year. These athletes are bringing in incredible amounts of revenue to these schools why arent they receiving what is due? One of the most common reasons cited against paying college players is compensation. Paying college athletes would go against sportsmanship as richer colleges could attract other college students with their bigger budgets. [45], On June 30, 2021, fewer than 12 hours before some states NIL laws went into effect, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors issued an interim ruling stating that Bylaw 12 (the rules that say athletes cannot receive payment) will not be enforced. Consider that ten of the biggest outdoor sports stadiums in the world (excluding auto racing venues) are American college football stadiums. Not just a regular issue at that, but a structurally racial issue on many levels. WebPeople who believe that college athletes should not be paid often point out that professional athletes in the major sports can make millions of dollars. Should the college athletics system be revised in another way to compensate amateur athletes? [38] These rules can effectively limit players options to playing in college or choosing another profession altogether. 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