Underwood 1

Should College Athlete Be Paid to Play?

Ben Underwood
North Carolina State University
Underwood 2
Why Paying Athletes Will Hurt College Sports
There is no dout that A!eri"ans love "ollege sports# and that is re$le"ted in the $a"t that the "ollege
sports industry generates eleven illion in annual revenues% &'del!an# p%1( )n the !ost anti"ipated
"ollege $ootall ga!e o$ 2*11# the Alaa!a+,SU ga!e was played in a sold+out stadiu! and 11%-
per"ent o$ all U%S households wat"hed it on national television% &Barri# p% 1( 'veryone# in"luding the
"on$eren"e "o!!issioner# the "oa"hes# the s"hools and the NCAA got a per"entage o$ the revenues .
everyone e/"ept the players% This disparity in "o!pensation has generated an intense "onversation# and
a "la!or a!ong so!e to "onsider paying 0ivision ) &or 1BS ( athletes in lieu o$ or in addition to an
athleti" s"holarship% Although !onetarily "o!pensating athletes !ay appear to e a si!ple
proposition# there are !yriad# "o!ple/ issues to "onsider# so!e o$ the! ethi"al and so!e o$ the! legal%
Ulti!ately paying players will har! "ollege athleti"s%
The "ontroversy o$ play+$or+pay "enters around ig+ti!e $ootall# as2etall# and ho"2ey progra!s
and is antitheti"al to the NCAA "odes% The two issues involved are whether these players should
"ontinue to e a!ateurs# and whether they are eing e/ploited i$ they re!ain so% There are two
argu!ents to e !ade "on"erning e/ploitation% The $irst is that athletes are not re"eiving a real 3uality
edu"ation# and the se"ond is that the s"holarships these players are awarded are not a $air trade $or the
in"o!e they generate# the argu!ent that has the !ost !erit% '/ploitation# whi"h generally !eans that
so!eone isn4t getting what is due to hi!# !ay e oth !utually advantageous and also "onsensual% )n
other words# oth parties have given "onsent and are ene$iting $ro! the situation &5iller# p 6%(7 $or
!ost student+athletes this is the "ase% However# y li!iting "o!pensation to athleti" s"holarships# the
NCAA is only "o!plying with its own rules and its !ission% The NCAA is the governing ody $or
athleti"s in "olleges and universities% )ts !anual states that 8the asi" pre!ise o$ the NCAA is to
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!aintain inter"ollegiate athleti"s as an integral part o$ the edu"ational progra! and the athlete as an
integral part o$ the student ody and# y doing so# retain a "lear line o$ de!ar"ation etween
inter"ollegiate athleti"s and pro$essional sports%: &;i!alist# p% 9( 1ull or partial s"holarships have
een an understood 3uid+pro+3uo $or literally thousands o$ "ollege athletes% There are good argu!ents
to e !ade that this syste! wor2s and shouldn4t e "hanged in any signi$i"ant way%
5any $eel that student+athletes are already getting paid e"ause their s"holarships are valued at an
average o$ <1-#*** $or state s"hools and o$ten doule that a!ount at private "olleges% &=ohnson# p% 9(
1or those student+athletes that are truly ta2ing advantage o$ a $ree edu"ation# the payo$$ is pretty
signi$i"ant% )n a 2*11 report# >eorgetown4s Center on 'du"ation and the Wor2$or"e "al"ulated a
a"helor4s degree yielded an average <2%9 !illion over a li$eti!e# or <-**#*** !ore than an asso"iate4s
degree# and < 1 !illion !ore than a high s"hool diplo!a% &Cohen# p%2( 1urther ene$its $or athletes
in"lude spe"ial dor!s# !eals# and tutors% They have a""ess to the est "oa"hes and trainers# enor!ous
T? and press e/posure# and o$ten get to play the role o$ the 8ig+!an+on+"a!pus%:
What is not in"luded in !any s"holarships is the po"2et "hange $or "lothes# sna"2s# laundry# and
personal travel% )t !ay e argued that athletes have no opportunity to earn e/tra !oney during the year
e"ause they are "onsu!ed y pra"ti"e# "o!petition# travel ti!e# weight training and $il! study% The
typi"al 0ivision ) $ootall player spends 69%9 hours per wee2 on so!e aspe"t o$ his sport% &'del!an#
p%1( To !a2e it even !ore di$$i"ult $or so!e student+athletes# 5ar" 'del!an# an Asso"iate Pro$essor
o$ ,aw at Baru"h College and a "o!!entator on sports reports that 8At so!e s"hools# the road to the
NCAA !ens4 as2etall "ha!pionship !ay re3uire student+athletes to !iss up to a 3uarter o$ all "lass
days during their Spring se!ester%: &'del!an# p% 1( Clearly# this type o$ s"heduling !a2es the
8student: part o$ the athlete4s role very "hallenging% @n the other hand# as 0r% =ohn A"3uaviva sees it
in his arti"le on paying "ollege athletes# 8i$ the "ontention is that !any student+athletes enter "ollege
unprepared or that athleti"s ta2es up too !u"h ti!e to e/"el &or even earn a degree(# those are separate#
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ut !u"h needed argu!ents# and are not related to the issue o$ paying athletes%: &=ohnson# p%6(%
Although their ti!e is eaten up during the a"ade!i" year# it should e noted that so!e athletes have the
opportunity to earn e/tra spending !oney during the su!!er !onths y wor2ing in various "a!ps that
are dire"ted y their "oa"hes and supported y the university $a"ilities% )n addition# Aos are o$ten
"reated y loyal alu!ni who provide su!!er e!ploy!ent to the sports talent $ro! their al!a !aters%
However# re"ently to provide additional needed support $or players# one solution has een proposed%
A$ter ShaaBB Napier# the 5ost @utstanding Player o$ the 2*16 NCAA 5ens Bas2etall Tourna!ent
and !e!er o$ the tourna!ent+winning Conne"ti"ut Hus2ies# stated that he 8so!eti!es went to ed
starving e"ause he "ouldn4t a$$ord $ood#: the NCAA4s ,egislative Coun"il approved a proposal to
in"rease the !eal allowan"e $or all athletes# in"luding wal2+ons% &NCAA Coun"il# 1o/sport(
Un$ortunately# the i!ple!entation o$ this proposal has een delayed e"ause o$ legal "on"erns%
>oing to ed hungry is proaly not an un"o!!on e/perien"e a!ong the ig+ti!e athletes in
0ivision ) "onsidering that a 2*11 report entitled 8The Pri"e o$ Poverty in Big Ti!e College Sport:
"on$ir!s that C- per"ent o$ "ollege athletes on s"holarship live elow the poverty line% &'del!an# p1(
5oreover# "onsidering that 1- per"ent o$ 0ivision ) athletes are the $irst in their $a!ilies to attend
"ollege# it would !a2e sense that they are !ost li2ely $ro! !iddle to lower so"io+e"ono!i" $a!ilies%
&Si!on p% 2( )t is very understandale then that these athletes would want a pie"e o$ the eleven illion
annually that the NCAA ta2es in% Nonetheless# are they entitled to a pie"e o$ the pie# and i$ they get it#
how does that a$$e"t the rest o$ the "ollege sports world?
)n addition to the "ontention that s"holarships don4t really "over the "ost o$ "ollege# there are a
nu!er o$ other persuasive argu!ents to Austi$y "o!pensating players% 1or one# the usual one+year
athleti" s"holarship in !ost s"hools "an e ter!inated y the "oa"h or university in any given year $or
any reason% )$ a player is per!anently inAured# he "an usually 2iss his edu"ation good+ye# and e"ause
"ollege sports a"ts li2e a $eeder syste! to the pros# there is no other alternative $or an athlete right out
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o$ high s"hool% 1or e/a!ple# 8$ootall players !ust e in their third year o$ "ollege or over the age o$
21 to enter the N1,% Bas2etall players# on the other hand# !ust attend "ollege $or one year or
ulti!ately sit out a year e$ore they "an enter the NBA%: &=ohnson# p 6%( 1urthering the viewpoint that
the NCAA is e/ploiting athletes# 0ennis =ohnson# in his arti"le on paying athletes# has "o!pared the
NCAA to the plantation syste! o$ the old south% &=ohnson# p%-( He states that athletes are so!eti!es
physi"ally and !entally !istreated# restri"ted y their letter o$ intent# restri"ted to where they "an and
"annot go in the "o!!unity# and suAe"ted to !andatory drug testing# roo! "he"2s# and way+too+early
pra"ti"e sessions% )n essen"e# they are "ontrolled y their !astersD"oa"hes% While those "onditions
!ay prevail# this argu!ent is wea2 e"ause these sa!e athletes# as !entioned# get valuale "oa"hing
and e/posure to prepare the! $or the pros# so the supposed e/ploitation "ould e viewed as !utually
advantageous# "onsensual or sy!ioti"% 1urther!ore# in real wor2 e/perien"e# !anagers !ay have
so!e o$ the sa!e "ontrols on their e!ployees su"h as non+"o!pete "lauses# early+!orning or late+night
wor2 sessions# 26DE phone "alls or e!ails# or the re3uire!ent o$ e/tensive travel%
Another "o!parison to Austi$y "o!pensating athletes is that the NCAA operates as a type o$ "artel#
an organiBation that ene$its its !e!ers at the e/pense o$ "onsu!ers% The "artel &NCAA( "ontrols the
!ar2et y regulating the ter!s under whi"h athletes sign# the a!ount they "an re"eive# and it "ontrols
the rights to T? advertise!ents# and en$or"es all poli"ies% &;i!alist# p% 29( This is a "ogent argu!ent
when one "onsiders that every head $ootall "oa"h in the 1BS# win or lose# earns !ore than one !illion
a year# and this e"ono!i" disparity etween players and "oa"hes is one o$ the !ost "ontentious issues
o$ the "ontroversy o$ play+$or+pay% &5iller# p%F( As a !atter o$ $a"t# in 6* U%S% States# the highest paid
state e!ployee is the head $ootall or as2etall "oa"h o$ the state university# and that $igure doesn4t
re$le"t outside in"o!e% &'del!an# p% 1( Additionally# pro$essional "oa"hes on average aren4t paid any
!ore than "ollege "oa"hes e"ause although pro$essional sports ta2es in $ar !ore in revenues# it pays
out $ar !ore in player "o!pensation% Colleges pay less in ta/es# and they pay nothing to shareholders%
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)n"identally# the athleti" dire"tor who negotiates the "oa"h4s salary ene$its $inan"ially when the "oa"h
!a2es !ore !oney% &Berri# p%2( >ranted# y e!ploying these argu!ents it appears that athletes are
eing vi"ti!iBed y not getting a share o$ the "oa"h4s enor!ous pay"he"2# ut the rational o$ paying
athletes ased on what the "oa"h !a2es is analogous to de!anding that every e!ployee o$ Wa"hovia
Ban2 gets a share o$ the presidentGs salary e"ause he !a2es a whopping eight !illion dollars a year%
)sn4t the ig usiness o$ sports the sa!e as every usiness? So!e usiness e/e"utives are paid !any
!ore ti!es than the average wor2er who !ay wor2 Aust as hard%
)t doesn4t appear that the syste! will ever return to the pure athlete+s"holar !odel that is pra"ti"ed in
the )vy ,eague S"hools sin"e the "han"es o$ re$or!ing to that degree are sli! to none% )n short# there
would have to e agree!ent a!ong all NCAA !e!ers# and# "onse3uently# there would e a lot o$
!oney $or$eited y all involved in the "urrent syste!% Howard Savage# a sta$$ !e!er o$ the Carnegie
1oundation wrote in 1H2H in an arti"le titled 8Athleti"s in A!eri"an College: that 8ig ti!e "ollege
sports were not edu"ational# ut were entirely $inan"ial and "o!!er"ial#: and the environ!ent has only
e"o!e !ore o$ a sports entertain!ent enterprise% &=ohnson p%1( Consider that the NCAA re"ently
negotiated a deal $or <EE* !illion annually $or the rights to road"ast the !ens4 as2etall tourna!ent%
&'del!an# p%1( @ther revenues "o!e $ro! !any sour"es in"luding the sale o$ sports !er"handise#
ti"2et sales# sponsorship rights# general road"ast rights and even video ga!es% Be"ause there is so
!u"h !oney "o!ing into the NCAA "o$$ers# 5ar" 'dle!an writes in U%S% News that 8not only are the
NCAA rules that prevent "olleges $ro! paying student+athletes i!!oral# ut they also are li2ely
illegal%: &'del!an# p%1( However# paying athletes is not a si!ple solution to the "ontroversy% There are
a $ew 2ey points that he !ay not e "onsidering%
There are so !any prole!s with pay+$or+play ideas# that it is daunting to enu!erate the! all% To
egin with# only 29 out o$ 11** s"hools generate !ore !oney than they spend on athleti"s% To partially
e3ualiBe the playing $ield# the NCAA redistriutes ninety per"ent o$ its revenues% )t helps 0ivision ))
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and ))) s"hools y providing 2%E illion in athleti" s"holarships% &Si!on# p%1(% 1or those s"hools not
!a2ing a pro$it# having to pay their athletes will li2ely result in "uts to !any other sports progra!s#
and perhaps# will also in"rease student $ees% Additionally# s"hools that generate igger revenues would
have an advantage y eing ale to pay players !ore !oney# thus "ontinuing to do!inate the sport to
the e/"lusion o$ less+pro$itale progra!s% )n addition# e/a"tly who should e paid? Should only
0ivision ) athletes e paid when other athletes in 0ivision )) and ))) sports have the sa!e $inan"ial
disadvantages? What aout sports other than as2etall and $ootall? Shouldn4t those athletes e paid
as well? Perhaps they are putting in Aust as !u"h ti!e preparing $or their "o!petitions%
Along the sa!e lines# there are serious legal issues to "onsider% )n the "ase o$ Northwestern4s
$ootall players# the 5ar"h 2F
th
2*16 ruling y the National ,aor Ielations Board &N,IB( that allows
students at private institutions to unioniBe has potential legal "onse3uen"es% A""ording to 5i"hael
Si!Ba2# writing in The Hu$$ington Post# paid athletes would lose their a!ateur status# and 8e"ause all
pro$essional sports leagues !aintain so!e $or! o$ "o!pensation $or players who are inAured as a result
o$ playing# the institutions that e!ploy the! would e re3uired to do the sa!e%: &Si!Ba2# p 1(% )n
other words# "olleges would e $or2ing out a lot o$ !oney $or insuran"e% Additionally# he states under
Title )J and the 1air Pay A"t 8institutions a""epting $ederal $unds !ust o$$er e3ual opportunities to
oth !en and wo!en% Thus s"hools would have to pay oth !ale and $e!ale athletes e3ually and in
e3ual nu!ers%: &Si!Ba2# p%1( 1inally# e"ause athletes would e re"eiving pay other than a
s"holarship# the institutions !ay no longer 3uali$y $or a ta/+e/e!pt status o$ their athleti" depart!ents#
and i$ Pell >rants are involved# their status !ay e a$$e"ted as well% &Si!Ba2 p%1( None o$ this
dis"ussion addresses the 2ey "on"ern that "ollegiate sports is not a pro$ession# nor should it e solely a
gateway to pro$essional sports% The real issue is that so!e athletes are not in s"hool $or an edu"ation#
ut rather as an entry to pro$essional sports%
To e/tend this point# when all the in$or!ation and statisti"s are "onsidered# the nu!er o$ athletes
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that are part o$ the "ontroversy is $airly s!all% There are 6F*#*** student+athletes in this "ountry and
1-*#*** o$ the! are 0ivision ) athletes# and o$ "ourse# all o$ the! are not N1, or NBA prospe"ts% As a
!atter o$ $a"t# only two per"ent o$ !ens4 as2etall and $ootall players go on to play pro$essionally%
&Si!on p%2( )t !ay surprise so!e to 2now that $ro! 2**9+2**F the graduation rate $or all NCAA
athletes was C* per"ent# and there was a slightly higher rate o$ graduation $or athletes versus non+
athletes &F-+F6K( o$ graduation in si/ years# &'SPN( so these statisti"s !a2e it di$$i"ult to argue that
student+athletes are eing deprived o$ a 3uality edu"ation% @ne interesting study that puts so!e o$ this
in$or!ation in perspe"tive is y Allen ,% Sa"2s% The study atte!pted to assess the degree to whi"h
"ollege athletes support various $a"ets o$ the NCAA a!ateur "ode% 0ata $ro! F66 !en and wo!en
as2etall players revealed that 8espe"ially in the lower "lasses and a!ong la"2 athletes#: !any see
nothing wrong with violations o$ the "ode% He goes on to say#

8they are $ar !ore li2ely to thin2 they deserve the sa!e ene$its as other e!ployees o$ the
"ollege su"h as wor2er4s "o!pensation# the right to $or! unions and the right to a share o$ T?
revenue% 0ivision ) athletes in general and la"2 athletes in parti"ular were $ar less li2ely to
report that they "o!pete $or the $un o$ it%: &Sa"2s# p%1(
Clearly they view their sports "o!petitions as Aos# and perhaps this is e"ause !any o$ the! would
not have een ad!itted on their a"ade!i" !erits alone and !ay e unprepared $or "ollege wor2% 1or
e/a!ple# Chris Washurn was a""epted into N%C% State 8with a Aoint SAT s"ore o$ 6E* % % % approved y
Chan"ellor Bru"e Poulton on the grounds that the SAT is ra"ially s2ewed%: &;i!alist p% 2C(
;i!alist also wonders i$ the sa!e "onsiderations are given to la"2 perspe"tive students who are not
athletes% &;i!alist p% 2C(
Ulti!ately# paying "ollege athletes is a ad idea% However that doesn4t !ean that the NCAA
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shouldn4t !a2e so!e "hanges% There are several viale ideas to help those players who are either elite
or are very deprived% )$ elite players were ale to independently !ar2et their i!age# na!e or nu!er#
without the involve!ent o$ the universities# it would provide the! with in"o!e in e/"hange $or athleti"
revenue% 1or those players who are not elite ut are truly e"ono!i"ally disadvantaged# so!e type o$
need+ased stipend "ould e provided y the universities without AeopardiBing the entire sports revenue
syste!% )t !ay e di$$i"ult $or so!e s!aller s"hools to pay this stipend# ut with redistriution $ro!
NCAA revenues# it is an a"hievale goal i$ there is a will a!ong the !e!ers% 1urther!ore# a stipend
see!s !ore a""eptale e"ause it is very di$$erent than so!e o$ the play+$or+pay proposals eing touted
in the !edia# su"h as a $ree !ar2et approa"h &paying whatever the player "an de!and(# or pay per
ga!e% )n addition# there is a "onsensus a!ong university o$$i"ials that e/tending the opportunities $or
players to "o!plete their degrees even when they are no longer eligile to play# and giving student+
athletes !ore down ti!e are needed re$or!s% &Si!on# p%2( ;i!alist writes in his oo2# Unpaid
Professionals, 8While it is te!pting to egin with a "lean slate# it is also unrealisti"% College sports are
too popular and too ingrained in our "ulture to re+engineer the! $ro! the ground up%: &;i!alist# p%
1HF( Hope$ully# re$or!s li2e those outlined aove will ste! the de!and $or !ore radi"al "hanges in
the a!ateur athleti" environ!ent and !a2e it a $airer syste!%
)n essen"e# !oderate re$or!s !ay help preserve sports as we 2now the!# while on the other hand#
paying student+athletes would da!age the a"ade!i" !ission o$ universities and hurt their integrity% )t
would har! players as well% Sin"e the aility o$ revenue+produ"ing s"hools to pay their players would
"reate un$air advantages# the "o!petitive nature o$ "ollege sports would e AeopardiBed and the $un
ta2en out o$ it% Who wants to see 0u2e# 5i"higan State# Lentu"2y or so!e other ig+na!e as2etall
dynasties "o!pete in the Sweet Si/teen every year? 1ans love to see a ?irginia Co!!onwealth# or a
5er"er win tourna!ent ga!es% Additionally# the $ree+!ar2et idea o$ paying only so!e o$ the elite
athletes would "reate distrust and Aealously# and in the end# it would hurt tea! spirit% The eauty o$
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"ollege athleti"s "o!pared to the pros is that !ost o$ us li2e to i!agine that it is pure# rather than
2nowing we have sports !er"enaries playing $or our tea!% Paying athletes would only "orrupt our
edu"ational syste! $urther% Un$ortunately# ased on re"ent rulings# "ollege athleti"s !ay already e in
the pro"ess o$ "hanging $ro! the a!ateur progra!s that we 2now and love% These are un"ertain ti!es
$or $ans o$ "ollege sports%

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Wor2s Cited
1% &The Case $or Paying College Athletes# y 5ar" 'del!an# U%S% News and World Ieport# =an F
2*16%(
2%&8What sports illustrated didn4t tell you aout paying "ollege athletes: y 0ave Berri in The
Hu$$ington Post# April 2E# 2*16(
9%5ar" 'del!ann# 821 Ieasons Why Student+Athletes Are '!ployees and Should Be Allowed to
UnioniBe: in 1ores 5agaBine# =anuary 9*# 2*16%(
6%&0ennis A% =ohnson# 'd% 0# =ohn A"3uaviva# P% 0% 0# 8PointDCounterpointM Paying College Athletes#
The Sports =ournal# =une 1-# 2*12# p% 6(
-%NCAA Coun"il Approves Proposal $or Unli!ited 5eals# Sna"2s $or 01 Athletes# 5SN%
1o/sports%"o!DCollege+Bas2etallNColu!na# April 1-# 2*16
F%0ave Berri# 8'/ploitation in College SportsM )t4s Not =ust 1ootall and Bas2etall: in the Hu$$ington
Post# April F# 2*12# p%2(
E%5i"hael Si!Ba2# 8Bowling $or 0ollarsM Should College Athletes Be Paid? Hu$$ington Post# April 2E#
2*16%
C%Anthony 5% 5iller# 8NCAA 0ivision ) Athleti"sM A!ateuris! and '/ploitation#: The Sport =ournal#
pulished y the United States Sports A"ade!y%
H% Allen ,% Sa"2s# 8Are )!proper Bene$its Ieally )!proper? A Study o$ College Athletes ?iews:
=ournal o$ Sport and So"ial )ssues# 5ar"h 1HCC# volu!e 12%
1*% Ia"hael Cohen and Ialph 0% Iusso# Paying College AthletesM Not )$# But How# Hu$$ington Post #
April 2E
th
# 2*16%
11% ,ouanna Si!on and Nathan Hat"h# 8Why UnioniBing College Sports )s A Bad Call#: The Wall
Street =ournal# April E 2*16%