The Controversy Over Paying College Athletes
In a Times cover story, Sean Gregory in referring to Johnny Manziel asks, “How much longer can everyone else make money from college athletes like Manziel while the athletes themselves see their cash compensation capped—at $0?” Manziel, a Texas A&M quarterback, had been suspended for the first half of the season opener because he had signed his autograph for some fans. Although he did not personally accept money for his autograph, it was obvious trinket brokers would sell his autograph. Manziel’s suspension is an interesting story that brings forth the issue of whether or not college athletes should be paid (Gregory). Although at this time college athletes are not paid, many athletes and fans believe …show more content…
However, the players are not the only ones who score. The sponsors of the teams as well as the broadcasters win through their business success and the amount of revenue they generate (Debate Club). Richard Burton, Professor of Sports Management at Syracuse University, explains the universities of successful sports teams make millions from selling team products and especially tickets to the games. For football and basketball coaches, the average salary exceeds well over $1 million per year. According to Forbes, “In 40 of the 50 U.S. states, the highest paid public official is currently the head coach of a state university’s football or men’s basketball team” (qtd. in Edelman). The NCAA makes a total of $6 billion every year according to the US News website. Broadcasters like CBS make over a billion dollars off of important tournaments and games, “thanks in part to a $700,000 ad rate for a 30-second spot during the Final Four,” as Forbes’s Chris Smith writes (qtd. in Debate Club). Also, the athletic conferences the successful teams are apart of receive millions from the NCAA (Debate Club). One could say the success of many businesses is accredited to college athletes, because without them, none of it would be
In a Times cover story, Sean Gregory in referring to Johnny Manziel asks, “How much longer can everyone else make money from college athletes like Manziel while the athletes themselves see their cash compensation capped—at $0?” Manziel, a Texas A&M quarterback, had been suspended for the first half of the season opener because he had signed his autograph for some fans. Although he did not personally accept money for his autograph, it was obvious trinket brokers would sell his autograph. Manziel’s suspension is an interesting story that brings forth the issue of whether or not college athletes should be paid (Gregory). Although at this time college athletes are not paid, many athletes and fans believe …show more content…
However, the players are not the only ones who score. The sponsors of the teams as well as the broadcasters win through their business success and the amount of revenue they generate (Debate Club). Richard Burton, Professor of Sports Management at Syracuse University, explains the universities of successful sports teams make millions from selling team products and especially tickets to the games. For football and basketball coaches, the average salary exceeds well over $1 million per year. According to Forbes, “In 40 of the 50 U.S. states, the highest paid public official is currently the head coach of a state university’s football or men’s basketball team” (qtd. in Edelman). The NCAA makes a total of $6 billion every year according to the US News website. Broadcasters like CBS make over a billion dollars off of important tournaments and games, “thanks in part to a $700,000 ad rate for a 30-second spot during the Final Four,” as Forbes’s Chris Smith writes (qtd. in Debate Club). Also, the athletic conferences the successful teams are apart of receive millions from the NCAA (Debate Club). One could say the success of many businesses is accredited to college athletes, because without them, none of it would be