Introduction: College football has been around for a really long time.

For many years students and fans have gathered to cheer on their teams to win and support the athletes playing the game. As the sport gets more popular and these players get better and better, the question seems to pop up more often, should these players get paid to play the game? I have seen numerous TV interviews and shows that discuss this problem and most people are split on the issue. Many of the people who think that the athletes should be paid are former athletes who have been through the situation of giving everything they have for that school and not seeing any money from the revenue that they help produce. I am not one of these people, I am not a college athlete either so maybe I do not fully understand the situation from that perspective but I understand it being a college student who has to pay for college without any scholarships like most of these athletes have. Growing up and playing sports as long as I did, I had the same dreams as every other kid, I wanted to play some sport professionally someday whether it be baseball, football, or basketball. I couldve been a college athlete at some smaller schools around North Carolina but I chose to go to a school where I had always wanted to go and earn my degree. At that moment my chances of going professional (being a very slim chance due to being a 59 white guy) were gone and I was okay with that. I dont regret not taking some of the scholarship opportunities I had to go play football, I just support all of my favorite teams with a passion for the game that I will always have. To me, sports were all about playing the game, not getting paid for it, not selling a ton of merchandise, just to play a game I love. This is why I think college athletes shouldnt be paid. There was a reason as kids we dream of making the big bucks as professionals. That is the
desktop support 10/22/13 9:38 AM Comment [2]: Clearly state your audience . is it just college athletes or every person who receives a scholarship in school. desktop support 10/22/13 9:36 AM Comment [1]: Maybe add some statistics about the amount of revenue produced from college football. Could compare it to amount of scholarship money athletes receive.

difference in college sports, in college you are an amateur athlete, it is all about the steps it takes to get there to make that money. Now I see people campaigning so they make money playing a sport in college, what happened to those dreams as a kid? If youre going to complain on how you dont have money being a student athlete, then dont be one and see how it is as a regular student, Im sure there are plenty of people who would take your place and enjoy the atmosphere they have been put in, I certainly would. Literature Review Personally I do not support the idea of paying college athletes to play their respective sports. They are getting paid in a way with having the majority of their college tuition and housing paid the time that they are at that university. How is this not enough for these athletes? While most of the students are trying to balance work and classes, some athletes are complaining how they should be bringing in money just for themselves to have extra spending money. It has been mentioned that athletes are down to their last part of their money for that year before the first semester is even over. This is indisputably untrue. Student-athletes earn free tuition, which over the course of four years can exceed $200,000. They are also provided with housing, textbooks, food and academic tutoring. When they travel to road games, they are given per diems for meals. They also get coaching, training, game experience and media exposure they "earn" in their respective crafts.(Davis) This statement is a big point and can branch out to many issues within the dilemma of college athletes being compensated. Another point made by Davis is that these amateur college athletes have access to the fair market to be able to be compensated for their abilities by turning pro. But the NFL and NBA both have draft age minimums; these minimums were created by their own leagues and not by the NCAA. These athletes say that they dont have enough to get food and pay rent, yet they go out and spend what extra money from
desktop support 10/22/13 9:42 AM Comment [4]: Good point in mentioning travel expenses to show athletes get extra money. Those travel expenses add up. desktop support 10/17/13 10:41 AM Comment [3]: Make sure to clarify categories for references and themes of the paper. It would help add structure to the paper instead of rambling.

their scholarship on shoes, brand name clothes, and other things that are not a necessity for being a student athlete. If you ask me they have plenty of money to spread throughout the year. I see pictures of athletes on instagram, Facebook, twitter, and other kinds of social media sites with brand new clothes and equipment for their sport, not just a uniform to wear on game day but warm-ups, sweatshirts, sweatpants, shorts, new shoes just to wear around, and they still complain how they dont have things to wear. Being financially responsible is a part of being a college student Romogi Huma, he was ruled ineligible for accepting free groceries after he had already exhausted his scholarship money. Huma was a part in forming the NCPA (National College Players Association). (Parasuraman) The NCPA was formed to try and help college athletes in the same sort of situations against the NCAA to retain eligibility as well as many other goals. Originally the NCAA operated under bylaws known as home rule, but as the sports become bigger and bigger the NCAA has adjusted to these changes. But their policy towards its athletes remains to keep the players as amateur student athletes which they are. To me this article kind of hits me right at the beginning talking about former athletes wanting colleges to provide more scholarship money to players so they will have enough. I just think better money management would benefit these athletes while they are in school. Why treat these athletes like they are children and try to give them everything they want all of the time just because they play a sport? I understand that these superstar players are bringing in big money for a school, especially with all of the huge lucrative television contracts that TV stations and conferences make to broadcast these football games. I understand that being a student-athlete you are putting your career at risk when you step onto that field every game but being the first part of that title is student. I have seen many of these athletes put their football and other sports first before their schoolwork and then they suffer a career ending injury. What
desktop support 10/22/13 9:48 AM Comment [7]: Elaborate on money management. What should their scholarship money be used for explicitly. desktop support 10/22/13 9:47 AM Comment [6]: Identify what the NCAA is. Not everyone knows what it stands for. desktop support 10/22/13 9:45 AM Comment [5]: Add in pell grant money how they do not have to pay it back after they gradate. As long as they keep the grades up they keep it.

happens after that when they have no college degree and not future in that sport? After that people wont look at you the same and slowly you will disappear to the regular world with everyone else. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a big name in the sports world and has spoken out on how he feels about college players in todays world. Abdul-Jabbar talks about the amateur status that used to mean something as a young athlete, and compares it to now as young athletes no longer caring as much about that title. Athletes today are wanting to go straight to the pros and dont pay as much attention to getting a college degree. Abdul-Jabbar emphasizes the importance of getting educated and taking an advantage of the opportunities given to them while they are in school. He mentions, Any high school student with the talent to get a scholarship to attend a university for four years should focus on the business aspects of their favorite sport.(AbdulJabbar) This quote stands out to me and is significant because he is saying to know the limitations within your sport and dont put all of your eggs in one basket. The issue on whether or not these athletes should be paid has risen to the top on the list for the NCAA. They are seeing more and more former college athletes and even some current ones join together to try and reach some sort of agreement so they may be compensated in the future. I will honestly lose a little bit of faith in the NCAA if this eventually happens, personally I see it as inevitable but it is definitely not something I will support. Recently there was a lawsuit against the NCAA and EA Sports, these former athletes have sued both of the organizations for their likeness in these video games. . EA Sports is a video game company who created games NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, as well as professional sports games. Plaintiffs argued they were due some money for the likeness of their characters being represented in the different video games. One of the first entries in this timeline is May 8, 2009: Our agreement with EA Sports clearly prohibits the use of names and pictures of current student-athletes in their electronic
desktop support 10/22/13 9:53 AM Comment [9]: Possible use of more items from the court case. What was the outcome of the lawsuit? desktop support 10/22/13 9:51 AM Comment [8]: Good quote, Maybe find other high profile sports announcers who speak out on the subject.

games. We are confident that no such use has occurred. This quote was from Bob Williams the NCAA Vice president of Communications. Why are these athletes so desperate for money after the fact they graduate and move on to a professional career? I see it as former mediocre athletes who never made it big so they want some money because they dont know enough in what their degree was in or they majored in some crap field that wouldnt produce a real job that would be able to support them. Many people have talked about what it would mean if college players were paid to play but they dont really think about every little thing. Ivan Maisel of ESPN wrote an article talking about this very thing and all of the possibilities. The liability for the university could go up if the athletes are looked at as employees. If they are employees then if an athlete gets hurt playing his sport, technically he could qualify for workers compensation. There are a lot of possibilities that could end badly for either side. A court case that was cited in this argument was one of Waldrep v. Texas Employers Insurance Association. Kent Waldrep is a former TCU running back who was paralyzed from the chest down in 1974 and later filed for workers compensation in 1991. A compensation commission ruled in favor of Waldrep, only to have that ruling overturned by a district court jury.(Maisel) This article to me showed me how hard the world can be to people but the importance of rules and regulations. If Waldrep had been considered an employee and financial aid was considered income, he couldve possibly received workers compensation for his injuries sustained while working for the university. Another problem that arises in this article is equality within the collegiate sports. Are you going to pay every athlete a reasonable amount of money equally through all sports? Or will these universities pick who they want to pay the most for the amount of money they bring in.
desktop support 10/22/13 9:55 AM Comment [10]: Good point showing that college athletes are not employees. Despite injuries they do not qualify for workers compensation.

A big part of the problem right now if the NCAA being able to enforce its policies to make sure that players arent receiving money in any sort of way that would make the player ineligible. When a student athlete steps onto campus for the first time, they are required to read and understand the regulations set forth by the NCAA. . One of the rules stated in the forms says you are not eligible if you have taken pay, or were promised pay for competing in the sport and references NCAA Bylaw 12.1.2.(NCAA) To me this is a really important reference; it is stating everything an athlete must do in order to be eligible to participate in their respective sports. If you do anything that violates these rules laid out for you, you cannot play, plain and simple. There have been violations in the past and the NCAA has laid down some serious penalties for the universities that have broken these rules. But I think what about the player who accepted the money or gifts? Recently there has big a big story about Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M. He was accused of signing hundreds of autographs in exchange for money for an autograph broker. An autograph broker gets a lot of autographs from high profile players then turns around and sells them on Ebay or in a sports memorabilia store. First of all Johnny Manziel is becoming one of the biggest college football names in the country, he is a kid who burst onto the scene in 2012 and won the Heisman trophy. He has had a lot of off field publicity for his actions like partying and hanging out with high profile celebrities. This situation is different though, accepting money for autographs is a clear cut violation in the NCAA. The NCAA would then conduct an investigation to prove that he had indeed accepted money but could never fully prove it. Eventually Manziel was dealt a one half game suspension at the beginning of the 2013 season. One of the biggest points from this article I got was If the NCAA investigation finds that Manziel has violated NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.1 -- accepting money for promoting or advertising the commercial sale of a product or service -- he could be ruled ineligible.(ESPN) That itself is a

desktop support 10/22/13 9:56 AM Comment [11]: Find more information about the NCAA and their beliefs on the issue. President of the NCAA would be a good prospet.

statement that is clear as day, but without actual proof he had taken money, the NCAA cannot do much. This article leads me to help solve this problem by maybe the NCAA should have better enforcement on their student athletes, more severe penalties should come for the players and not just the organization they came from. Entering the Conversation My point of view and stance on the matter of paying college athletes is straightforward and I simply do not think that they should be compensated for their actions on the field. Using some of the sources of information I found my stance has grown stronger, partly because there are rules laid out by the NCAA in which each athlete is supposed to read and agree to. If you arent going to agree by these rules then why sign the paper and ask for more money. There will always be those people who try and money as amateur players in the college world and there is really not much the NCAA can do to stop it but paying players is not the answer. I have read articles from people who support paying players but they contradict their selves within their own statements. Michael Wilbon of ESPN wrote an article titles College Athletes Should be Paid. Wilbon discusses the financial part of March Madness and how much money is earned from each game for each team within the NCAA tournament. He goes on to talk about how he used to not be a supporter of paying college athletes but has flipped to the other side. He kind of steps on his own tongue within his statements when he says, Don't get me wrong, paying players out of individual athletic department budgets is beyond impractical; it's probably not feasible.(Wilbon) Why try to support paying college athletes when in reality it wouldnt really be possible to have equality throughout all sports. He also mentions just paying the athletes who help bring in the most money but how is that fair to the other athletes who put in just as much hard work but happen to play a less popular sport.
desktop support 10/22/13 9:57 AM Comment [12]: Making the point about fairness within the sport is good. Brings up issues about equality.

Based on my readings I feel college athletes shouldnt be paid and should be pushed to get their college degrees. Nothing in life is handed to you, why should these athletes be treated in a way that says you can have anything you ask for without working for it. The state of collegiate sports is becoming more competitive each year. This is where problems start to arise when the recruitment part starts for these athletes in high school. Theres no proof that these coaches go in and say we want you to play for our school and we can do a little extra for you if you decide to come. Booster clubs and its members will try to string things together in order to help get that high profile athlete attend their alma mater but they can put it at risk at the same time. Simply, do not do things that can result in banishment from games and wins stripped from your record books. So What? After all of the things that can happen within the college sports world, it leaves us asking so what can we do about this situation? What should we do to ensure these athletes do not get paid to play? Some people will argue to give these athletes more scholarship money so they arent running out at the end of the semester. I do not think this is the best choice to give them more scholarship money. The money given to you from your university is enough for tuition, books, housing, and food. What else could you possibly need in order to live on a college campus. A problem that stands out to me is there are these athletes who get these apartments that cost more than it would to simply live in a dorm. This is what part of the money guaranteed to you on your scholarship is based on. If you choose to live in a dorm, maybe that college athlete will save more of that money to be able to live better. I really do not have a clear cut solution to this problem but I strongly oppose paying these athletes like they are professionals. To me they
desktop support 10/22/13 9:59 AM Comment [13]: Good point in showing the opportunities athletes can take an advantage of to save money. Money management is a big thing.

are not professionals, they are amateur student athletes and the student part should come first. It should be an honor to play a sport for a university. Money should be demanded in order to play.

References

Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem. "Young athletes, a degree matters - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. N.p., 6 Sept. 2012. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. file://localhost/<http/:espn.go.com:college-sports:story:_:id:8344785:young-athletesdegree-matters>. Cook, D. Assignment 1 [Word Document]. Retrieved from https://moodle2.uncc.edu/mod/assignment/view.php?id=130355

Davis, Seth. "Rebutting Taylor Branch belief in paying student-athletes - Seth Davis - SI.com." Breaking news, real-time scores and daily analysis from Sports Illustrated - SI.com. N.p., 21 Sept. 2011. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/seth_davis/09/21/Branch.rebuttal/index.ht ml>;. Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/seth_davis/09/21/Branch.rebuttal/index.html #ixzz2hw1SxyNs Depken II, C. A., & Wilson, D. P. (2006). NCAA Enforcement and Competitive Balance in College Football. Southern Economic Journal, 72(4), 826-845. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from the jstor database. ESPN. (2013, August 7). Broker says Johnny Manziel took $7,500 for autographing helmets ESPN. ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9544137/broker-says-johnny-manziel-took-7500autographing-helmets Maisel, I. (2011, July 15). Legal issues could arise from paying student-athletes - ESPN. ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6768571/legal-issues-arise-paying-studentathletes NCAA.http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/AMA/compliance_forms/DI/DI%20Summary%20of%20NCAA %20Regulations.pdf "NCAA Legal Issues - NCAA.org." NCAA Public Home Page - NCAA.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2012/Se ptember/Student+athlete+likeness+lawsuit+timeline Parasuraman, Rohith A.. "Unionizing NCAA Division I Athletics: A Viable Solution?." Duke Law Journal 57.3 (2007): 27. JStor. Web. 1 Oct. 2013.

Wilbon, Michael. "College athletes deserve to be paid - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. N.p., 18 July 2011. Web. 1 Oct. 2013. <http://espn.go.com/collegesports/story/_/id/6778847/college-athletes-deserve-paid>.