Read the debate intro, Sports Geek’s argument that college athletes should be paid, and Bleacher Fan’s argument that athletes should not receive compensation.
This is perhaps the most level debate that The Sports Debates has had in its history. I knew coming in to today that I was going to really struggle with this topic. After reading the strong cases of both Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan, I was no closer to a verdict. I was literally ON THE FENCE… more so than ever. But while scarfing down a chicken sandwich for supper, I weighed the pros and cons in my head and came up with a verdict that is sure to light a fire under the losing side. After much consideration, I have sided with Sports Geek.
I did not necessarily relate to all of Sports Geek’s argument. I’m not as big on his “injury” point as he obviously is. The majority of collegiate players that play football will finish playing football after their eligibility is up. Even then, the great ones take out heavy insurance premiums to cover themselves in case of injury. Just in the past week it was revealed that Tim Tebow has taken out around $2M in insurance policies against injuries. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy has taken out a similar policy.
Bleacher Fan brought some interesting points to the table about the value of education, and that is not to be taken for granted. In the age we’re living in, it is a valid point. Bleacher Fan also gave some interesting figures about the average debt of a college student. Every writer at The Sports Debates has accumulated college debt. I can’t even see the light at the end of the tunnel on my college debt!
Let’s explore a hypothetical story. Let’s say an 18-year-old from Vienna, Georgia has signed a scholarship to play football between the hedges in Athens. I realize most of you, including you Bleacher Fan, have no idea where Vienna, Georgia is, but that really doesn’t matter. Vienna is in Dooly County, one of the poorest counties in the state. This kid gets a full ride to the University of Georgia. He has his education essentially paid for. That’s the good news. The bad news is that football is going to be his life for the next four plus years. Being from an area that doesn’t have a high median income per family, he probably doesn’t have a lot of extra cash lying around. But, he really is limited in the kind of part time job he can get due to his football responsibilities, especially during the season. Even during the “off-season,” he still has weight lighting, individual workouts, and other responsibilities that go with being a football player (including summer classes). He basically doesn’t have enough cash to take his girlfriend out to eat at the local Longhorn Steakhouse. He doesn’t have the money to be a normal college kid.
I see no harm in giving kids like this a “supplement” to help them out. Like Sports Geek said in the argument (and this essentially is what swayed me), the universities, the majority of them at least, have lots of money coming in through various endeavors. We’re talking MUCHO dinero! It’s unfair how much these colleges are making off of these “amateur” athletes.
I’m not sure what the answer is to formulate how much money each player should receive. It would take a ridiculous amount of research by the NCAA to determine that. But the athletes really do need a slice of the big pie, and folks, it is a big pie. There will still be enough money to keep the universities happy and the athletic departments afloat!
I agree that the schools profit greatly from this system, but only a select few REALLY profit from it. For every school making $100 million in college football, there is another school making only $2 million. To then say that all of college football is exploiting athletes is a gross overstatement, and the students who go to those $100 million programs DO benefit from those programs.
These kids aren’t pawns, and this isn’t a slave labor system. Nobody is forcing them to play the game, nor are there any guns being held to anyone’s head. I would argue that the VAST majority of these kids actually WANT to play the game because they ENJOY it. No one is being forced to risk life or limb against their will, here. How many kids try to walk on to programs every year?!
The idea of an amateur athlete is that these kids are supposed to compete for the joy of competing, NOT for personal, financial gain.
College athletes benefit greatly from their time in competition. To argue otherwise is completely false.