In college, a typical student has a lot of free time away from studying and assignments. Some use this free time to earn some extra spending money, while others use this time to get away from academics and relax. This free time allows college life to be more enjoyable and less stressful. College athletes’ schedules, however, do not allow these periods of relaxation. Their sports are meant to be fun, but at the Division I level, a level much more involved than high school, their sport turn into a job. These athletes manage to juggle a full schedule of early morning workouts, classes, practices, studying, and assignments. Although all college sports are demanding, Division I football and basketball programs are the most severe due to the pressure of gaining revenue and profit. Furthermore, Division I football and basketball players are counted on by their school and merchandise companies to bring in money. Because of their demanding schedule, their sacrifices in college, and the money they earn for other people, Division I football and basketball players should be paid a university-controlled salary to make-up for their lack of financial opportunities throughout college.

Division I football and basketball players sacrifice many of the opportunities of their college life for their sport. These athletes do not have the social lives due to the multiple responsibilities to their team, and more importantly, they do not have the multiple free hours to devote to their school work. Most people’s perception of these athletes, however, is far from the true lives these players lead. Typically, regular students think the lives of these athletes are filled with special treatments and benefits such as preferred scheduling or scheduling before all other students. While athletes get preferred scheduling, they must also be finished with classes much earlier in the day than a regular student in order to fulfill their athletic responsibilities. Moreover, many of these benefits are only available because of the opportunities that athletes give up. For every benefit a student athlete receives, another benefit is being taken away that is available to all other students.

Aside from the athletic and academic benefits these players receive, having extra spending money in college is also a prominent difference between these athletes and other students. Although scholarship athletes are given extra spending money, the amount is too minimal to accommodate comfortable living situations (USAtoday.com). Comfortable living situations are not possible without money. The time put in preparing for games during the season, during the off season, and during the summer gives these athletes little or no opportunity to earn money. Student athletes’ schedules and involvement in their sports prevent them from earning extra money. Many argue that a full athletic scholarship and a college degree is plenty of incentive for athletes to participate in their sports. Scholarships, however, are not considered payment. Scholarships are an attraction to quality and talented players in order for them to choose a certain school over another, or sometimes many others. According to Tom Farrey, the so-called “athletic scholarship” does not include all living expenses. After being on an athletic scholarship, many student athletes leave and have left college in debt up to thousands of dollars (Farrey). Moreover, a scholarship may not be enough for other food payments; the scholarship meal plan only covers main meals. Scholarship athletes are also not treated equally to other students on other types of scholarships. A student on a music scholarship gets his or her tuition fully paid. On top of this benefit, however, according to sports critic Nathan Chaisson student musicians on scholarship do not have to maintain a certain grade point average in order to play and are able to earn money by playing in a professional orchestra while on scholarship (Chaisson). Unlike athletes, these students are being paid for their extra-curricular activities at the collegiate level that will one day be their profession. Scholarships should not prevent Division I football and basketball players from being paid.

The bottom line is that all Division I football and basketball players should be paid because of the time they put into preparation for their sport and because of the revenue they produce for their schools. Each day, early morning workouts, meetings, practices, and physical therapy fill a player’s schedule. All of these sport-related aspects physically break down an athlete. On top of their fatigue, these athletes must deal with the pressure and anxiety of school. Normally, there is no time in a day for anything but academics and athletics. The typical schedule jumps between an athlete’s school and an athlete’s sport. The day is full of class and practice, and the nights are occupied with studying, doing assignments, and preparing for the next game or the next practice. Even in the so-called “off season,” the days start earlier, and the workouts are more difficult and more intense than during the season. Also, these scholarship athletes are often forced into taking summer classes in order for their room and board to be paid for during summer workouts. In order to stay eligible and have a successful collegiate career, perfection in athletics is demanded, and success in academics is a must.

Division I football and basketball players should be paid because of the revenue and profit they bring in. Referencing the Journal of Business Law and Society, not only does the school benefit from this revenue and profit, but so do many other groups such as the conference to which the school belongs, shoe companies, television networks, and merchandise companies (“Pay to Play”). Within a school, the profit and revenue of these “big time” programs pay for their sport, but they also fund the seasons of all other sports such as soccer, lacrosse, swimming, etc. Furthermore, this revenue and profit makes other student athletes’ seasons and scholarships possible. These two sports are multimillion dollar businesses. The athletes’ sports are no longer just a fun, competitive activity, but a job.

A “job” is something done for financial reasons, to be employed and receive a fair compensation for the goods or services provided. Division I football and basketball players do not receive a fair share of the pie; they deserve a more reasonable compensation for what they do. For the time put in, many Division I football and basketball players, mainly those not going to the next level, are the work horses of multimillion dollar entertainment businesses that should be paid for their time, for their collegiate sacrifices, and for the opportunities they bring to the college they play for.

Bibliography

"Pay to Play." The Journal of the Business Society (Illinois). 22 March 2006. http://iblsjournal.typepad.com/illinois_business_law_soc/2005/03/does_it_make_se.html

"Pros and Cons of pay for play." USAtoday.com. 22 March 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2004-08-31-pros-cons-pay_x.htm.

Chaisson, Nathan. "Athletes should be paid to play." The Collegiate Times. 22 March 2006. The Alestle. http://www.siue.edu/ALESTLE/library/SPRING2001/mar20/paidtoplay.html

Farrey, Tom. "NCAA might face damages in hundred millions." 2006 ESPN.com. 22 March 2006. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2337810

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