A Quarter Back for the Quarterback College athletics have gained a large amount of popularity over the course of the last twenty years, stirring up the question of paying collegiate athletes. Intercollegiate athletics generate an excess amount of annual revenue to their universities, up to $124 million at the University of Alabama. Student-athletes are rewarded with a free college education in exchange because they are viewed as amateurs. Mark Emmert, the president of the NCAA, stated “They are student athletes. They are not our employees and they do not work for us” (Emmert). In reality, the opportunity is not free, and half of the athletes that bring in revenue do not graduate. A typical division one athlete devotes over forty-three hours
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To pay every athlete, male or female, it would cost about six million dollars annually. He declared, “The money will cover college expenses that are not covered by a traditional full scholarship and give each player five thousand dollars for the university’s use of his image” (Patterson). This is an attempt to fully support the education of players by increasing full scholarships to the cost of college attendance. According to a study done by the U.S. News, it would cost an affordable $95 million per year to increase scholarships for revenue athletes and pay matching funds to female athletes to comply with Title IX. Even the NCAA acknowledges that a full scholarship leaves out the $3,000 to $5,000 in out-of-pocket expenses each year. In a recent interview, Mark Emmert admitted “The increase in the size of our scholarship funds is at least, in part, a recognition that it is much harder for student athletes to have a part-time job” …show more content…
The record-breaking running back for the University of Georgia, and potential Heisman candidate, Todd Gurley, was suspended for four games for taking more than $3,000 in exchange for his signature. In addition, the NCAA tacked on forty hours of community service. It obviously was a poor decision to break a rule he knew existed, but it was a non-criminal act . “Gurley accepted money because his extraordinary ability in a certain field makes his signature very valuable. Anywhere else, that’s called free enterprise. In major college athletics, it means he generates the same number of negative headlines as someone who robs a store or beats up his girlfriend” (Staples). Jameis Winston, the current Florida State quarterback, was caught stealing merchandise and his punishment for a crime was significantly less than Todd Gurley’s
To pay every athlete, male or female, it would cost about six million dollars annually. He declared, “The money will cover college expenses that are not covered by a traditional full scholarship and give each player five thousand dollars for the university’s use of his image” (Patterson). This is an attempt to fully support the education of players by increasing full scholarships to the cost of college attendance. According to a study done by the U.S. News, it would cost an affordable $95 million per year to increase scholarships for revenue athletes and pay matching funds to female athletes to comply with Title IX. Even the NCAA acknowledges that a full scholarship leaves out the $3,000 to $5,000 in out-of-pocket expenses each year. In a recent interview, Mark Emmert admitted “The increase in the size of our scholarship funds is at least, in part, a recognition that it is much harder for student athletes to have a part-time job” …show more content…
The record-breaking running back for the University of Georgia, and potential Heisman candidate, Todd Gurley, was suspended for four games for taking more than $3,000 in exchange for his signature. In addition, the NCAA tacked on forty hours of community service. It obviously was a poor decision to break a rule he knew existed, but it was a non-criminal act . “Gurley accepted money because his extraordinary ability in a certain field makes his signature very valuable. Anywhere else, that’s called free enterprise. In major college athletics, it means he generates the same number of negative headlines as someone who robs a store or beats up his girlfriend” (Staples). Jameis Winston, the current Florida State quarterback, was caught stealing merchandise and his punishment for a crime was significantly less than Todd Gurley’s