American Morning
Should college athletes get paid?
You’ll see it tonight in the stands at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Thousands of fans spending money to watch college athletes play ball and wearing t-shirts with the athletes’ numbers and names on their backs. With so much money to be made in college sports should the stars of the programs, the actual student athletes, get paid for their success?
“Absolutely,” they should get paid, CNN education contributor Steve Perry tells AM’s Christine Romans on today’s American Morning. College athletes earn about $120,000 a year if you factor in training, medical help and tutoring, but Perry says that is not enough. He explains why athletes should at least be able to earn money off their own images through endorsements.
Remember the Ohio State football players suspended in December for selling memorabilia from their winning games? What do you think, should colleges pay their athletes?
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Absolutely. People can complain that they had to get student loans and pay their tuition out of their own pockets but none of these students generated millions of dollars for their colleges while they were students. Student athletes train hard, they have to maintain their grades, and if they get injured or have a career ending injury they lose the scholarship. It's not right that coach K gets paid 4 million dollars while his players get nothing.
Actually, noone is wearing a particular athlete's name and number. The NCAA is not allowed in its by-laws to market jerseys or shirts based on a particular player.
If someone makes their own jersey or buys it from a 3rd party, thats one thing, but the NCAA isn't selling anything material that the student-athletes would otherwise profit from.
And no, they should not get paid, outside of maybe a small stipend of $100-200 a month for entertainment. They already get educations worth in excess of $100,000 for free. They should have to sign a legal contract to finish school, instead of using a scholarship for 2 years until they're eligible for the pro leagues.
Personally, I'd rather see that scholarship money given to deserving students who will actually get an education, instead of using college as a warmup to a pro career.
Absolutely not!!! The way I see it, they are already getting scholarships to get an education. I think any money being made on bowl games, March Madness, etc... should be put back into the education system for others that need scholarships. These kids will be making money when they pursue their professional carriers, just like the rest of us.
Must maintain a 4.0 GPA, stay out of trouble, NO 2nd chance and help within the community. Maybe then, upon completion & GRADUATION the school, college, etc., could give them a predetermined "refund, bonus" right after they graduate. Right now they are just cannon fodder for the schools to make money.
if i receive a scholarship for anything not sports related, i have the opportunity to go to the nearest mall, burger king, footlocker, etc... and earn a few bucks to buy a suit, or a movie ticket, or gas money. These big money bcs school athletes dont have that opportunity because when all the rest of the students go home for winter/summer break, they are still there training and practicing. How could you possibly be wrong for selling something that was YOURS to begin with (i.e. Ohio State players)? If i receive a book scholarship (which i did), at the end of the semester i was able to sell my books to someone else who needed them and pocket the money. The current NCAA system is designed and maintained so that these kids earn ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
What do you think about that duke Le Cross team rape case?
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Colleges should absolutely not pay their athletes. Most of them are already getting a nearly free education, I think that's payment enough. I'm going to be in debt for years and years to come because I actually had to pay for my education, sorry I'm not a star athlete.
Something that wasn't mentioned during the discussion on TV with Steve Perry is how many athletes get scholarships for their education? Isn't that a form of pay? Thanks.
Actually, the majority of "college athletes" shouldn't even be in college! Most could not attain the minimum ACT or SAT to be enrolled, so why are they there? All college sports programs, except intramurals, should be moved to club status and funded privately. The Europeans had this figured out decades ago Also, the cesspool NCAA should be put out of business and stop the corruption that has become college sports. Most of the athletes are not in college for an education, but to get a free ride and then join a professional team. The television networks keep promoting this all in the name of the money. It's time to be realistic and get the athletes out of the colleges so real students can take their seats and learn something.