College Athletes Should Not Be Paid Argumentative Essay Example

So the question has been going on for years now, and it’s still a hot debate even today. Should college athletes be paid?  According to America, 51% of people in 2020 believe these athletes should be paid for their performance while in college. However, they are wrong because these athletes are already given many opportunities other students will not get, along with they will preform differently if they were getting paid. 

The first reason why college athletes shouldn’t be paid is because it would effect their gameplay while on and off the field. Students looking to go pro aren’t playing college sports for money. While that may be the reason they want to play and succeed, when in college they aren’t getting paid. According to the second text, It’s Time to Pay College Athletes, it states, “Most scholarships are revokable, so if an athlete doesn’t perform well on the field, he can, in a sense, be fired from college.” So, this shows us the instead of playing for money and fame, they are playing for their lives and future if the game. Each time an athlete steps onto the court or field, they preform their hardest and try their best to get into the professional level so they CAN be paid in the professional league. Also, according to John Rowady, president of sports marketing firm rEvolution (who is much more familiar with the situation), states he believes, “Paying the players as professionals carries a big risk of the public quickly tuning out. It would create a massive unknown, you have to wonder if it would change the whole dynamic of what it means to be a student-athlete.” And in this, he is telling us what the National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] won’t. They don’t want to pay their athletes because it could change the entire way their organization works. It means something to be a student athlete, and one of those things means to not be paid. That is the end goal for these athletes. 

The second reason why college athletes shouldn’t be paid kinda ties with the first, they have more benefits than the average college student. College athletes earn scholarships, they are given many more opportunities, and they are given the supplies to help them succeed. According to the forth text, There’s No Crying in College: The Case Against Paying College Athletes, it says that, “College athletes are already being paid with an athletic scholarship that is worth between $20–$50,000 per year. Oh, and that does not even begin to factor in the medical and travel expenses, free gear, top-notch coaching, unlimited use of elite athletic facilities and a national stage to audition for a job in the professional ranks.” This shares the idea that student athletes are already getting many more benefits than the average student. They are getting scholarships, free health and travel expenses, gear and so much more. There is no need to be paying them when they are already getting top care. It’s nonsensical. Also, in the same text, John Rowady expresses his opinion on this matter. “They perform in a high profile environment, and gain access to incredible networks of people,” says Rowady. For those who aren’t pro material: study. Your education is free, remember.” He tells us that even if the student athlete is not pro material yet, they are still getting a free education and they should jump on these opportunities because not a lot of people get these chances. 

Finally, the third and final reason college athletes should not be paid is because not every student would be getting paid. Only certain schools and sports depending on how much revenue they get from their season. In the second text it states that, “Not every school would—or could—participate. Only the 60 or so schools in the power conferences, which have the football and basketball revenues to support such payments, would likely even consider such an option.” Only the really popular college sports, like football and basketball would eligible to even pay their athletes because of the revenue they bring in. Other sports like hockey and soccer don’t make as much so they wouldn’t have the chance to pay their students. 

So, after all of the research, it is clear that college athletes should not be paid. For the reasons above and many more. And while one may try and argue that the amount of revenue the NCAA makes, they could split it amongst the students. But the research shows that even if they did this, not all schools and players would be paid. The gear, medical and travel expenses, and more would no longer be available to them. What they have now will be completely changed if they got paid. No matter how many protests or people agree on the matter. The NCAA will not be paying their student athletes because of this. It would change the corse of college sports forever.