Paying College Athletes 1
The Cases for Paying College Athletes
Jacob Spencer
American Military University
Professor Rogowski
SPHE379
10 December 2012
Paying College Athletes 2
The Cases for Paying Athletes
Introduction
There are many reasons why college athletes should or should not be paid, and
face numerous obstacles before they can be paid. A further look into the arguments will
reveal some of the major obstacles and some potential solutions, as well as some
alternatives that may suffice instead of giving the athletes monetary compensation.
While the argument may never fully be resolved, at least some insight can be gained on
the subject through the analysis of arguments presented by supporters of both sides, as
well as some light being shed on some of the complexities that are involved with such a
problem.
Why They Should Be Paid
One of the primary arguments as to why college athletes should get paid is
merely so they can put themselves through college and provide for their families. The
unfortunate thing about the National Collegiate Athletic Association is that the rules set
forth by the NCAA to govern the colleges and athletes are the same rules that bind the
hands of athletes that need to make money. The need for such income by athletes can
be seen clearly in the scandal that rocked Ohio State, in which several of the players
received fairly long suspensions for receiving gifts from boosters and selling the
memorabilia from their bowl game that they had received for free. Both of these actions
are against the rules that the NCAA has in place. Suspending athletes is one thing, but
forcing head coach Jim Tressel to resign, who was known for his squeaky clean
Paying College Athletes 3
reputation is another thing entirely (Ohio State’s Jim Tressel resigns amid NCAA
investigations; Fans, school look to a new coach, 2011).
With the amount of money that flows through the NCAA it would only make
sense that the labor force that makes it possible for coaches to make such ludicrous
amounts of money and who cause marketers to spend millions of dollars make money
themselves. Such is not the case, and they are expected to be content with
scholarships that do not even cover the full cost of attending their college of choice
(Nocera, 2011).
Where Will the Money Come From?
The hardest part about paying college athletes is finding out where the money to
pay them is going to come from, because surely, it would be a nightmare considering
that the overwhelming majority of athletic departments operate in a deficit (Wilbon,
2011). When that is mentioned it is hard to make a case for paying athletes. That is,
until someone looks at the money that flows through the NCAA and some of the
divisions that make up the NCAA.
The NCAA signed a $10.8 billion dollar deal with CBS/Turner that is set to expire
in 2024. The deal gives CBS the rights to broadcast three weekends of basketball every
year. Those that are unfamiliar with college basketball will have trouble recognizing the
event that is being alluded to but those that are familiar will undoubtedly recognize
those three weeks as March Madness. On top of the CBS and NCAA deal, the Bowl
Championship Series, or BCS signed a four year deal with ESPN wherein ESPN pays
the BCS $500 million (Wilbon, 2011).
Paying College Athletes 4
Another look will show that college football and men’s basketball have become
so huge in terms of revenue and popularity that large corporations like Chick-fil-A and
Coors spend millions of dollars in marketing. The two sports mentioned have become
so lucrative that they bring in more than $6 billion in annual revenue, which is more than
the entire National Basketball Association (Nocera, 2011). It’s not uncommon for
college coaches to make more money than their professional counterparts. For
instance, Ohio State agreed to pay Urban Meyer $24 million over six years and the
University of Louisville basketball head coach Rick Pitino earns, as of December 2011,
$7.5 million, which is $2.5 million more than he was being paid as the head coach of the
Boston Celtics (Nocera, 2011).
