Who Should Get Paid?

It’s been a long time debate whether athletes should get paid at the collegiate or just the pro level.

Any athlete would agree that their hard work should be rewarded somehow and while agreeing with that, I don’t think it should be with money.

One might argue that I’m not an athlete and I don’t know how much hard work and long hours are put in and I get that but hear me out.

I know as a student myself, college is VERY expensive. Most athletes that go to college to play a sport are on a scholarship that pays for everything but living. So shouldn’t that be in some form getting paid? I know my parents wouldn’t mind it.

Collegexpress says in their “Should College Student- Athletes be paid?” blog post “Since student-athletes also bring in revenue for their team and college or university, especially in the championship games, those who debate in favor of paying them say the students could receive a small portion of the profits. Yes, pay would vary, just as the universities with the more successful teams receive more television time or money than those with less successful teams.”

So basically if you go to a small university that may not have the best record you probably wouldn’t make that much money. In other words if you don’t go to Alabama, Clemson, or Georgia theres not much hope for you.

The perspective brings up a very good point: paying big money for college students miss the purpose of college. You go to college to get an education and a degree. If you’re good enough, you go to the pros and get a job.

In a SmartAsset.com’s “smartreads” post titled “Should College Athletes Be Paid?” They bring up the concern that few collegiate sports actually make money. Football and Basketball are the big money makers. So what does that mean for baseball, softball, tennis, etc? It means they work just as hard and don’t get the same reward.

College is an opportunity for athletes to prove themselves. Every collegiate athlete was good in high school that’s why you work your butt off in college if you love a sport enough to make it your career. College is also a place you might realize your sport isn’t for you at the next level and that’s also ok.

So athletes, sorry for not being on your side for this one but keep doing what you’re doing!