O.J. Mayo Mess Proves NCAA Needs To Toughen Up

With the recent of former Trojan O.J. Mayo allegations the incident doesbrings back an interesting debate of whether college athletes should get paidto play or not.

The answer is no.

College players should not be able to accept sponsorship deals, money fromagents, appearances fees, or anything else outside of a school scholarship.

Mayo accepted a reported $200,000 and other luxuries from Rodney Guillory, whowas acting on behalf of a big-time sports agency, before ever stepping footonto USC.

In return, Mayo gave a verbal agreement to allow that agency to represent himwhen he eventually turns pro.

Because being paid to play at a collegiate level only damaging to the game andthe players themselves.

By allowing student-athletes to earn money from playing you are basically invitingcorruption into the college game.

Sports agents will loiter around college campuses looking to sign the nextAll-American.

Mike DeCourcy of Sporting Newssaid it best if agents roam college campuses: “people who cozy up to them(players) pretending to offer friendship or fatherly advice only so that theymay one day deliver those players to agents.”

There will be more riding on these college games and thus more pressure will beplaced on players to produce.

College is a time of self-discovery, where you find out who you truly are andwhat you really want out of life.

If athletes are being bogged down by contracts, deals and money and sportsagents are basically making life-alternating decisions, where is there room forthe players to mature and grow into responsible adults?

There’s a certain sense of purity about the college game that can’t be found atthe pro level. With their amateurism status, there’s also certain level ofinnocence, if you will, about the college athletes who not yet tainted by greedwith million dollar contracts and who unaccustomed to the fast paced lifestyleof a pro athlete.

Allowing college athletes to get paid to play at a college level only takesthat purity away. College sports will no longer be the same, but instead be moreof a second-tier or development place for the pro leagues.

Think of the 1980 Winter Olympics U.S. men’s hockey team. It just wouldn’t bethe same if those same wholesome college kids on the U.S. team were replacedinstead with pros.

The underdog theme wouldn’t truly fit; the “miracle” just wouldn’t exist.

I say, the NCAA has it right to not allow college athletes to be paid to playtheir sport; by doing this it keeps the game pure.