College Compensation Essay

An essay I wrote pre-coronavirus for school on why college athletes should be compensated. Enjoy!

After winning the 2019 College Football Playoff, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney received a 10 year contract worth $93 million (Robinson, Manie). Meanwhile, his players received nothing other than $550 worth of “gift suites,” with items like gift cards and AirPods which the players could not sell (Gardner, Hayes). Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari is paid over $9 million per year for making the Wildcats a consistent contender(“Men’s College Basketball Coach Salaries”). Yet the players who bring Kentucky into the national title conversation aren’t paid a cent for their hard work. NCAA DI athletes should be paid because it discourages bribery, because of the injury risk and work the players put in, and because of the money they make for everyone around them.  

The first reason student athletes should be paid is because of the bribery it discourages. By paying players, each school is equal, however rich schools have a leg up when they can deal under the table. An FBI wiretap caught an assistant of Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller saying that Miller would pay college star DeAndre Ayton $10,000 per month under the table to be on the basketball team (Norlander, Matt). Louisiana State basketball coach Will Wade did the same thing while trying to lure in Javonte Smart (Wells, Adam). After Louisiana State won the 2020 College Football Playoff, LSU alum and NFL star Odell Beckham Jr handed money out on the field to the players (Baby, Ben). Not only is this cheating unethical, it makes it unfair on small schools who can’t possibly compete with big money schools like LSU and Arizona. By paying players, these players already have the money they strive for and won’t risk cheating in search of more. The injury risk and hard work the players put in is another crucial component for why these athletes must be compensated. 

College athletes should also be compensated because of the long and hard hours they put in with a high injury risk. DI athletes work an average of 34 hours a week on their sport, including FBS football players, who dedicate 39 hours of their week to improving their gridiron game(Ridpath, B. David). These athletes are working their hardest for hours upon hours to create a fantastic on field product. It would only be fair to give the players a cut of the money that is earned from their hard work. Also, they are always putting their bodies on the line with a huge injury risk. Every day, they put their bodies on the line in contact sports like football and rugby. CTE, a brain disease caused by repetitive head trauma often found in football that causes memory loss and dementia later in life(“Frequently Asked Questions about CTE”). Some of these players are bound for the pros. Others are ready to go to law school or medical school. Why should they lay their future on the line when the NCAA won’t even show them enough respect to pay them? 

The third and final reason to pay college athletes is because of the money they make for everyone around them. The athletes may be the ones playing the games, but it’s everybody else who is making the money for their hard work. The top 72 coaches in men’s college basketball were all paid over a million dollars (“Men’s College Basketball Coach Salaries”). 24 schools make $100 million or more from their athletic department(Gaines, Cork). In the NCAA’s March Madness TV deal with Turner and CBS, the NCAA averages $771 million and the tournament generated $1.285 billion for the TV networks(Ozanian, Mike). It’s clear that everyone around the sports rakes in a lot of money. However, they would make none of this money without the players. The players should get a slice of all the money the world makes off of them. 

As strong as the case to pay college athletes is, there are some doubters on the other side of the coin saying they shouldn’t be paid. They say it’s the athletes’ choice to play in college and that they should be grateful to get a free ride. They refer to the $2 million that a Duke basketball scholarship is worth(“$2 Million in Annual Income Needed to Pay for Yearly Value of Duke Basketball Scholarship.”). They point to the value of a college degree. They are correct. The athletes do reap a lot of benefits, but it’s small potatoes when you look at everyone around them. The universities aren’t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, they already have thousands upon thousands of students, a few more who attend on scholarship won’t break the bank for the school. A college degree may symbolize job security, but that’s not always true. A college degree won’t ensure them a house or food in the future. However, by paying them, they have money that they can put in a bank account to guarantee a stable life. All in all, while the schools appear to be treating the athletes well, they are making huge amounts of money on the backs of the players without giving them a piece of the pie.

In the United States of America, payment is normally simple and fair. From business CEOs to minimum wage workers, everybody earns money from the work they do. However, this doesn’t ring true for student athletes. Despite being on national TV for nearly every game they suit up for, the players receive no money from the school. Even with the average 39 hours a week they put in(Ridpath, B. David), they get no paycheck. This isn’t fair. Because it discourages bribery, because of the hard work and injury risk for the players, and because of the money they make for everyone around them, it is essential that college athletes be paid.