Persuasive Essay - Paying College Athletes

Salaries in College

College athletes juggle busy academic schedules and practice schedules all throughout their stressful weeks, so why shouldn't they be compensated for their time dedicated to sports. Since the beginning of time, college athletes have never been financially rewarded for their efforts in sports. Sure they have received scholarships, but young financially underprivileged students can't always balance school, athletics, and a job. College athletes should be paid for participating in college sports to help them financially accommodate their expensive lifestyles, give them the money they played hard to earn, and to eliminate recruiting and under the table payments.

Playing a college sport is like a full time job, except for no financial benefits. For example, a male college football player is always doing something 7 days a week for the team, whether it's practice, film, running, or lifting weights. With an intense schedule like this, they are left with no time to make a living. They are giving their heart and soul for the team, always striving to get better and succeed. During all of this they don't receive any sort of payment for their efforts that would aide them in meeting some ends and paying some bills. Parents can't always support their children, there comes a time when they need to be independent adults able to support themselves. In search of independence athletes may take out student loans, putting them in a financial predicament. Paying athletes would make them less dependent on their parents and take them out of the dept from their student loans.

Colleges, especially big Division 1 universities, bring in millions during football season. But when the die heart fans purchase their ticket and walk through the stadium entrance, who are they coming to see? Are they coming to see the coach? No, they are there supporting the players who have worked so hard. During the course of the season the colleges make millions, meanwhile the players receive nothing. Players should be reimbursed for their time spent under the bright lights of the stadium defending their school, and doing what they love. Most fans come to see the game, not to admire the architecture of the stadium, or to eat the unhealthy concessions. People wait in lines for hours on end just to get tickets to see the players, not the coaches therefore the players should be give the profits gained from the sporting events, deducting the proceeds that should rightfully go to concessions and stadium staff.

If college players receive salaries, illegal recruiting and payment under the table wouldn't happen, for example the "Reggie Bush Scandal". If he was earning a salary then he would have never been accused of receiving "gifts" or an alleged house. Scandals like this not only risk ruining the reputations of the players, but the reputations of the universities as well. Because athletes are not remunerated for their dedication to their sports colleges may feel pressure to bribe or compensate players for a job well done, or a commitment or contract with the school. Although bribes of this sort are forbidden, players who are not rewarded for their hard work may decide to look else where to a school that has potentially better "benefits". In order to prevent the loss of a key player colleges are forced to persuade them to stay with materialistic items such as cars, houses, and money. Doing such things could potentially jeopardize the integrity of the school and of the people involved, thus justifying the importance of the payment of college athletes.

If college athletes were paid for their services to the team they would be more financially equipped to handle their expensive lifestyle, they would be getting some of the money they helped earn the school, and it would potentially eliminate recruiting and black market bribes. The player's outlook on the game would be totally altered and they would strive to succeed not only in athletics but in academics as well. If college athletes were paid for their hard work and effort put into the sports they love they would be more financially capable of providing for themselves as individuals. College is a time when young adults are supposed to learn and prepare themselves for their futures paying them will teach them the importance of managing money and working hard. Paying college athletes would reward the players and