Sports have been an integral part of leisure time for America since the early 1900s, when listening to sports, especially baseball, on the radio was a beloved pastime for many families. Lately, college sports, primarily men’s basketball and football, have become more popular. Now that college sports have grown to such a high popularity level, people are asking, “Should these kids get paid?” Though many believe these athletes should be paid, I do not. Collegiate athletes should not be paid because they are not going to school for sports but for an education; they are not professionals, and therefore, should not be paid as such; and paying them would take away funding all other smaller sports and the overall funding of the school. Colleges
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Paying them would be essentially calling them professionals, which they are not. Also, paying athletes would make them more like school employees, not students. This statement is echoed in Current Events, where it states, “By receiving direct payment, they would be more similar to employees or professionals than students” (Birkenes and Bagaria 7). This is also mentioned in U.S. Digital News Weekly, which says, “Students are not professional athletes who are paid salaries and incentives for a career in sports. Collegiate sports is [sic] not a career or profession” (Mitchell and Edelman 17). College students are working towards becoming professionals in their field, so they cannot already be considered professionals. For the amount of work they put in, the amount of scholarships and even grants they receive is enough compensation for their time. In the same Current Events article, it says, “According to the NCAA, college athletes often receive grants worth more than $100,000” (Birkenes and Bagaira 7). 100,000 dollars is more than many professionals make in a year. Many teachers, police officers, lawyers, and other professionals have worked hard for numerous years, even decades, to get to their level in their profession. A college student playing college football or basketball, or any sport for that matter, should not be able to make more money than a person that has …show more content…
Though people may think they are helping players by supporting student-athletes getting paid, they are actually harming these players and their schools. There are so many reasons why they should not be paid, and that outweighs any positives. Students that play college sports do not play for money, but they play because of their love for the game and do not want to stop after high school. If these students were paid, all of the love they have would crumble, and it would become all about the money, not about the
Paying them would be essentially calling them professionals, which they are not. Also, paying athletes would make them more like school employees, not students. This statement is echoed in Current Events, where it states, “By receiving direct payment, they would be more similar to employees or professionals than students” (Birkenes and Bagaria 7). This is also mentioned in U.S. Digital News Weekly, which says, “Students are not professional athletes who are paid salaries and incentives for a career in sports. Collegiate sports is [sic] not a career or profession” (Mitchell and Edelman 17). College students are working towards becoming professionals in their field, so they cannot already be considered professionals. For the amount of work they put in, the amount of scholarships and even grants they receive is enough compensation for their time. In the same Current Events article, it says, “According to the NCAA, college athletes often receive grants worth more than $100,000” (Birkenes and Bagaira 7). 100,000 dollars is more than many professionals make in a year. Many teachers, police officers, lawyers, and other professionals have worked hard for numerous years, even decades, to get to their level in their profession. A college student playing college football or basketball, or any sport for that matter, should not be able to make more money than a person that has …show more content…
Though people may think they are helping players by supporting student-athletes getting paid, they are actually harming these players and their schools. There are so many reasons why they should not be paid, and that outweighs any positives. Students that play college sports do not play for money, but they play because of their love for the game and do not want to stop after high school. If these students were paid, all of the love they have would crumble, and it would become all about the money, not about the