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  Received 5,000 Reads • January 11, 2012

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  Leon Sandcastle commented on 10 Greatest Seminoles of All-Time:

  Ernie Sims could have been honorable mention.

  5 days ago

• Robert Mays commented on John White's profile

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  Should college athletes get paid? This question is as old as college athletics itself. Pay for play, however, is not something that is new in the world of college athletics. It is immoral in the eyes of some but necessary in the eyes of others. To avoid any unnecessary penalties to the school, college athletes should be given some kind of stipend for their services. Most college sports, especially football, are the reason that some universities are able to operate. Schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, and Florida State make massive amounts of revenue due to their football teams. The athletes, however, see none of the profits. Sure, some of them receive scholarships but that does not account for the money missing from their pockets.
  The demand that comes from studying and practice, as well as road trips, leave little time for work, therefore, paying college athletes is a good way to keep them focused on their academics as well as their sport because they no longer have to worry about how they will pay their living expenses. Paying athletes could also curb abuses such as players taking money from boosters or agents. If players are given some type of stipend, maybe they would not be inclined to accept other “improper benefits.” Some might argue that players would still accept benefits because the stipend would not be enough. While that may be true in some cases, there are some student-athletes that only want to be able to pay for their groceries, their rent or children and being paid to play would only help their cause.
  Players should be entitled to some compensation because of the revenue they bring in and the risk of injury they face. Imagine it being your senior season and you have a freak injury. Not only do you lose out on a scholarship but you likely lose out on your chance to become a professional athlete. The argument against this is that players are already paid because they get a free education, however, if a player has a career ending injury, that free education is taken away. Moreover, paying them could stem the tide of players going pro early, especially “one-and-done” players in college basketball. There are so many players leaving after their freshman seasons, that if the program doesn’t win the championship that year its almost like a wasted scholarship. There then is the fact that while any other student on a scholarship, whether it be a dancer, actor, or mechanic, can be use their services for a profit, athletes cannot. They are still considered amateurs but are really unpaid employees. The coaches make millions of dollars and live in mansions but the students live either on campus or in a home with two or three people they may or may not know. Most of these players will go pro in something other than their sport of choice, therefore, their major would likely be something that require a lot more studying than someone majoring in physical education.
  While there will always be those who will still accept improper benefits, regardless if there is a stipend put in place, the majority of college athletes would benefit greatly from the institution of payment. The question of where the payment would come from is an easily answered question. The NCAA as a whole generates billions of dollars due to athletics. That revenue could be used to help out student-athletes in need. The coaches who recruit these young men need to be more conscience of their players well-being financially and not just health wise for their respective sports.
  The NCAA cannot let a few rotten apples cause them to make a blanket judgment on the whole. Athletes would benefit greatly from a stipend. It would allow them to focus more on their sport and their studies. It will allow them to make better judgment when it comes to accepting payments from boosters, and it will also show that the NCAA actually cares about its players. Now is as good a time as any to make a change that could benefit the player, the university, the NCAA, and the college sport fan.

  644 days ago

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