College sports have become an integral
part of our national landscape. Saturday after Saturday fans pack Football
stadiums in the fall from the Big Ten Conference to the SEC. Throughout the
year several other sport venues are filled for the various athletic programs at
each school across the NCAA. These programs have brought a sense of campus
pride to a variety of schools, and have offered opportunities for students who
otherwise may not able to attend college due to financial or other hardships
which they endure on a daily basis. It has also helped put some towns on the
map.
Athletes competing most notably in
Football and Basketball, have brought in billions of dollars across each school
to help fund each department to help make up for losses experienced in other
sports. In the most recent television deal with CBS, TruTV, TBS and TNT, the
NCAA is set to make $10.8 billion dollars over the course of the deal. Some
school athletic departments go as far to produce millions off of the backs of
the student-athletes which perform in their facilities.
For the athletes, they get the chance to
attend school, and in most cases, they get the chance to earn an academic
scholarship which they can use toward their education. Each of them can leave
the institution which the competed with a sense of pride for the school that
they worked hard to represent.
This however has raised a decent amount of
questions which deserve our attention. Who are the employees in this case? Who
are the ones most responsible for generating this cash? Do they deserve the
opportunity to cash in whenever they may not get the chance to move on to a pro
sports league whether it is the NFL, NHL, etc? Many of the same people, who are
generating this money, are never going to see a dime of their hard work for
their school ever enter their wallet. Some of the athletes may never have the
chance to compete at the pro level, so what should hold them back from cashing
in when it may be as good as it gets for them? Why shouldn't they be able to
enjoy a piece of their labor?
While it's arguable that the athletes get
"paid" anyway through their scholarships, not every athlete gets one,
and not every scholarship is necessarily a full ride. The NCAA has set
limitations on their allotment of scholarships (ex. Football is allowed to give
25 initial scholarships, and carry 85 total at one time). This sets up some
athletes to potentially be left in the cold regardless of how they got there.
Some athletes will even have jerseys with
their number sold at campus bookstores. Although these athletes do not see
their name on the uniform, there are fans out there who can tell that the
number used is more than likely the athlete that wears that number.
Items for Consideration
Economic Exploitation -- This is defined as paying someone less
than their economic value while performing a task. College athletes do not have
the flexibility that other students do when their season is in effect. The NCAA
gives each sport a defined time frame each week that member institutions may
allow athletes to be on the field practicing, and coaches use this to their
best ability. If an athlete isn't at practice, he or she is either playing 1-3
games per week (depending upon the sport), or spending a certain number of hours
in class (depending upon what they need to graduate school). The NCAA deems the
athletes amateurs and therefore a "Student-Athlete". Also a number of
institutions make their money courtesy of Football. During the 2009-10 Academic
Year Penn State turned a profit of $53.2 million during the football season.
The only other sport that made money at the school was men's basketball which
raked in $2 million.
Football Culture -- It's no question that Football for many
athletic departments pays the bills. These athletes face a busy schedule
between practices, games, meetings, classes, etc. The same also applies to
athletes in other sports. This can prevent anyone from being able to see family
and friends in order to meet their commitment to a sport that they worked so
hard to play at the collegiate level. The lack of social time outside of their
sport also takes away from a chance for them to have a job.
Proposed System
The NCAA along with video game maker EA
Sports have been subject to lawsuits from former athletes who claim that their
likeness has been used and it entitles them to some sort of financial
reimbursement. A change that the NCAA can look into to allow all athletes to
benefit would be allow all athletes, regardless of whether or not each sport makes
money, would be permitted to receive a stipend ranging for $500-$1,000 each
academic year, and that would be what they get for the year. This would allow
athletes to feel as if they were reimbursed for using their image on TV and in
video games as well as allow them to have some money to go out with friends
when they do have the chance, no matter how limited these opportunities are.
Institutions would not be required to issue the stipend to any athlete again
until the start of the new academic year.
Conclusion
The opposition will argue that their job is to be students and they are there in college because they can play a sport, and for some, that's true. The chances that they will go on to play that sport professionally are slim. The NCAA says in its commercials that almost all student athletes will go pro in something other than sports. They however, are still subject to many of the same things such as travel, practice, and games that pro athletes are, and even see their likeness used in video games. Why shouldn't they be able to enjoy time out with their friends if they want to go buy a pizza for instance? The players do not have a chance to profit off their hard work, but the administration does, and that is problematic.
Conclusion
The opposition will argue that their job is to be students and they are there in college because they can play a sport, and for some, that's true. The chances that they will go on to play that sport professionally are slim. The NCAA says in its commercials that almost all student athletes will go pro in something other than sports. They however, are still subject to many of the same things such as travel, practice, and games that pro athletes are, and even see their likeness used in video games. Why shouldn't they be able to enjoy time out with their friends if they want to go buy a pizza for instance? The players do not have a chance to profit off their hard work, but the administration does, and that is problematic.
