Should College Athletes be paid? DEBATE!

[Diz whiz]

In my opinion yes.... Good source of universities revnues comes from athletics and the colleges are making tons of $$$ off of merchandise sales and I think the players should get some compensation for that! Besides where else can they earn money, its not like they can have a job traveling all the time...

 

[teh fish]

I think it should go the other way. The NCAA doesn't need to be tax-exempt and make so much money at the expense of their free employees (athletes).

I'm currently an RA and I can't have an outside job. I get free housing and a free meal plan with a small stipend. Athletes get about the same (some get full rides), so they're well compensated.

 

[imagineerhopefull]

By "rides" do you mean some of those escalades you see some of the players in?

 

[teh fish]

well, I was referring to getting tuition covered but yes, that could work.

Here, the football players get little motor scooters. Wouldn't they build up endurance if they walked everywhere?

 

[DisneyDadof3]

I played college baseball. I was paid to play. They covered tuition and room & board. That saved me tons of money. I was able to 'pay' for college this way and graduated with $0 in student loans.

 

[2006 Disney Mom]

'

 

[Princess_Joanna]

NO! The way I see it, is if an athlete is playing in college with hopes to become a professional athlete, then playing the game is just to become better for the job. A student pursuing a teaching degree doesn't get paid for their semester of student teaching, and STILL has to pay tuition out of their pocket for the school as well, AND usually aren't allowed to have an outside job. Athletes get enough as it is.

 

[PipesofLirael]

While my school's athletes get full tuition, free dorms, free meals, free books, etc, their teachers pass them through regardless of grades. Those of us that actually need the tuition aid are seconded behind the athletes. There's a good number of kids with straight As that don't receive full scholarships while the athletes do.

Pay them? Are you kidding?

To agree with Princess Joana, I am not monetarily OR academically compenstated for the hours I put into our scene shop and the work I do backstage. I do it for the recommendations. The day that one of those athletes can carry things four times their size while remaining completely quiet AND in a skirt (I wear only skirts for religious reasons, makes this so much more fun) while not being seen, then I'll have sympathy.

There shouldn't be this double standard in colleges.

 

[pIrish]

Absolutely not. For the most part, unless you go to a really jank school, they get their tuition payed for fully and most receive free room and board and, occasionally, free books. Which means they're some of the lucky few who leave college with a degree and NO debt.

If student athletes can't realize that they ARE being paid, even though it's not monetary in the terms of how they can go blow it on a new stereo system, they really shouldn't be in school, taking other student's spots and not appreciating what they're getting out of it.

 

[mandy200587]

Some of the athelets have everything paid for or half of it. Depends on the sport but the thing that annoys the crap out of me is registration time, they get first choice of all the classes and it drives me crazy.

 

[Super 27]

They should absolutely not be paid. First of all, they are compensated by getting their education paid for. Second, if playing the GAME is SO difficult that they need money thrown at them, they should just quit and go get a real job like everyone else... The bottom line is that if a sport is someone's chosen path, they need to pay their dues just like anyone who's trying to be successful in any career track.

 

[travelgirl06]

College athletes should not be paid! They get plenty enough perks as it is, from prime housing, to early course registration, meals, etc. At my school thousands of athletes get to register early every term, but the approximately 100 members of the honors program don't.

Last year a student athlete lived in my friend's on-campus apartment. The school paid for tuition, meals and housing for this girl, and she didn't care at all about academics at all. She even told me she was "just getting a degree so she could play basketball". What really irks me about this is that the school was paying for all of her expenses, despite the fact that she was injured and wouldn't be able to play all year!

Don't get me wrong, I really resepect student athletes. It takes a lot of time and dedication to participate competitively in a sport and to succeed academically; however many other students are putting in this same amount of dedication to their part-time jobs, clubs, non-funded sports, etc..

I just wish student athletes would appreciate all the perks they already have instead of looking for more. A few of my friends are on internationally competitive skating teams at their universities, and these girls are paying tons of money to be able to skate, for the love of the sport. They are practicing for a few hours each day, and managing their own team (travel expenses, travel plans, practice schedules, budget, etc.) that represents their school. Why should they have to pay hundreds of dollars a month to participate, while the football team is looking for paychecks?

Sorry if this offended everyone, I am just firm on the opinion that the primary purpose of going onto secondary education is to learn and grow academically.

 

[crzyred]

hmm...rather touchy subject from the looks of it, but it's turning into a rather good discussion. should they be paid? in my opinion no, i don't think that they should. to me college isn't a way to get into a professional sport, college is about education. I understand that they work very hard to be good at their sport and some feel that they should then get paid for that. but what about the student that get's straight A's. That person works very hard for that too, so why don't they get paid. The straight A person isn't working hard at something that is a hobby, they are working hard at something that will be useful to them in the future.

 

[clkelley]

I played college baseball. I was paid to play. They covered tuition and room & board. That saved me tons of money. I was able to 'pay' for college this way and graduated with $0 in student loans.

Congrats on the full ride on baseball!! Both my boys tried to get into college through baseball and the most they were ever offered at a DII school was books!! It was actually less expensive for them to walk on to Junior College teams and we paid the bills. Neither one of them are playing now, it was just too much to keep grades and the grind of playing ball year round.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

I vote no!

Like some other posters said, they should get paid to prepare for their future jobs, and we should have to pay (tuition, books, etc) to prepare for ours?

I think not.

I was in marching band throughout college, which was lots of fun...we practiced 5 days a week (plus all day on Saturdays) and did not get compensated. Actually, we had to pay for marching band as a class! When we traveled, yes we did get our hotel paid for like the football team, but there were many times where they flew (like up to Notre Dame, North Carolina, Miami, New Orleans, etc) and we had to drive from Tallahassee! Not that it was that bad...but the athletes have it good enough. No way should they get paid!

 

[Diz whiz]

bump

 

[Alyssa88]

I don't think they should get paid. I know plenty of athletes who have gotten scholarships and I think that is enough. They have just as much time as I have avialable to work (I know plenty of atheletes who work and got to practices, work out session, games/meets at work). I volunteer and research to further myself and I don't get paid for either fo those. It isn't fair for an athlete who may have poor grades to get paid and not someont like me who had to balance a ful course load, a job, research, volunteering, orgaizations, and still keep my grades up.

 

[NotAmused]

I definitely think athletes should not get paid. Every other "regular" student pays a fortune to go to college so athletes should not get paid to go to college. They are incredibly lucky to even get some/all of their schooling paid for. And then if they were to get paid, there would be such a debate because the more "popular" sports like football or basketball would get more money.

I think it's great that athletes are that dedicated to their sport, but a lot of regular students are also dedicated to their academics, clubs, etc. If college athletes ever get paid, they better pay us 'A' students, too!

 

[BostonTink85]

I think I'm with the concensus in saying that athletes should not get paid to play for a certain college. However I don't have a problem when some getting full/partial scholarships. And no it's not every player on every team that gets the full ride. They put in enough time (almost year round in some DI sports) and depending on the division a lot of television spots and sponsors and fans, so I have no problem with them being on scholarship. They still have to do the work and keep their grades up to stay in school and keep their scholarships. But getting paid on top of scholarship money...nooo.