The Constant Debate: Should College Athletes be Paid

 By: Rhianna Dozier 

This topic really irritates me. Should college athletes be paid? I’m rolling my eyes as I type these words. No, absolutely not. There are a million reasons why college athletes should not be paid, but I will only share a few points that I stand with strongly. 

First, imagine if all college athletes were paid. There would be so much controversy in the NCAA. You would have to take into account how much money they would be paid. Would certain sports be paid more? Would men and women be paid equally? Where would all this money come from? 

Colleges would become more and more expensive in order to come up with the money to pay its athletes. The debate about gender in sports would be brought up over and over again. Some would argue that men risk their loves more than women and should be paid more. However, Title Nine and the NCAA states otherwise. Men and women need to be treated equally in sports. The college athletes are already on scholarships. Their housing, tuition, and meal plans are paid for. Why on earth should they receive more money. 

Secondly, the argument is, is that college athletes risk their lives with the threat life-threatening injuries when they play in their matches or games. However, is anyone forcing them? Are they being held against their will? The answer is no. Athletes are choosing to play a certain sport in college. They were made aware of the possible injuries that came along with signing their time and commitment to a sport in college. So, if you ask me, they are kind of already being paid by receiving a free education, being fed for free, and being able to sleep in the nicer dorms on campus without having to pay a single thing. 

Thirdly, college athletes should not be paid because they are college athletes. They are not professionals, so they should not be paid at the professional level. Also, many college athletes, especially the ones who play for the more “popular” sports are most likely to enter the professional field in their third year of schooling. That would be money down the drain for colleges to pay those athletes when they will be paid professionally in two to three years depending on the sport they play.