Sports Editor
In
America, there exists a $6 billion a year industry. Its core labor force is
almost entirely unpaid. Not only do these laborers accumulate a grand total of
$0 an hour, they are actually punished for making any sort of money off of
their job. The laborers are college athletes, and the multibillion dollar industry is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It’s time for
this outdated hierarchy to be changed. College athletes need to be paid.
Star
Georgia running back Todd Gurley has brought the issue of whether or not
college athletes should be paid back into the spotlight. Gurley has admitted to
knowingly signing various pieces of memorabilia and having them sold online,
which earned him about $400. Athletes making any sort of money off of their own
likeness is a direct violation of NCAA rules, and has resulted in Gurley
receiving an indefinite suspension from all team activities. This is a massive
example of NCAA hypocrisy. Schools make millions upon millions of dollars by
selling athlete-related merchandise, but the athletes themselves are punished
severely for benefiting from this in any way. Furthermore, the NCAA applies
these rules in a bizarre, inconsistent way. Based on the incidents involving
Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston, Gurley would have gotten off with perhaps a
slap on the wrist if he had denied involvement. But because he told the truth,
he has been suspended for what could potentially be the rest of the season.
Manziel was accused of receiving $7,500 for signing numerous items, and there
was even a video of him signing shirts. But Manziel simply denied making any
money, so the NCAA only suspended him for one half of a game. Winston was
caught in a very similar situation, but once again denied taking any money and
as such was only suspended for one half of one game.
All
three of these players should never have been investigated for these “scandals”
in the first place. College athletes deserve to be compensated. The counterargument
to this notion states that students are paid by way of a “free education.” But
how useful is this “free education,” when it always comes second to athletics?
Less than two percent of these athletes will become professionals and make
millions of dollars, and only 65% of student-athletes will even graduate from
college in the first place. Many athletes, including former star UConn
basketball player Shabazz Napier, complain that the constant commitment to
athletics prevents them from getting a job, and many are left without any money
for essentials such as food and clothes.
It’s
time for student athletes to be considered employees of their schools. As per
the terms of their scholarships, playing sports is their job, and people must
be paid for doing their jobs. Every day, student-athletes put their health and
well-being on the line when they participate in their respective sports. If a
player sustains a severe injury and the medical expenses exceed $90,000, the
NCAA’s catastrophic injury program kicks in and helps to cover the bills.
Superstar athletes have the option of taking out a multimillion dollar
insurance plan with the NCAA that ensures they will not miss out on all of
their potential earnings if a career-ending injury occurs. However, if one of
the other 98% of players sustains a severe injury, they walk away with nothing
but a lifetime of medical bills and pain. Universities only have to certify that
athletes have a primary insurance provider, they are not held liable to pay for
any medical bills. In some cases, the university can even pull the student’s
scholarship if they are injured. But at least they got their “free education.”
