NCAA Basketball: To Pay or Not to Pay? That is the Question.

Recently, there has been a lot of debate about whether college basketball athletes should be paid, largely due to the amount of money the NCAA makes on the March Madness tournament.

Many players feel like they are being exploited; their talents are being showcased and, although money is being earned for their TV exposure, they do not receive any of the earnings.

Therefore, these athletes believe that they do not benefit from the entire tournament and from their athletic college experience. They believe that they are, essentially, wasting their time at their respective colleges because they're not earning any money.

In my opinion, this is one of the most selfish thoughts that a college athlete could possess.

Here's what these basketball players have got to understand: It is completely up to them whether they participate on the basketball team or not.

It is also completely up to them whether they attend a college/university or not.

None of these athletes are forced to attend school, or to play basketball for their school. They know exactly what they are getting themselves into when they decide to enroll in the institution and join the team. 

It boggles my mind how some college basketball players believe that they are more important than all other college students.

Just like all other students who attend the schools they attend, the athletes are required to attend class if they want to be successful academics. Just like all other students, they have a choice to participate in any activities they want.

Unlike most other students, they make the decision to participate in a game they excel in, and perhaps could even make a career of in the future.

They make a choice to sacrifice a lot of their time and effort for something they clearly want to do. Some do this with the intention of moving on to the professional level when they have the opportunity to do so. Others do it because they love playing the game and they love being part of a team.

Regardless of the reason, these athletes participate in this extracurricular activity out of their own free will, and not of the will of the NCAA committee, or their respective colleges or universities.

Although these players aren't forced to play basketball at the schools they attend, a common misconception is that the only way the best high school basketball players will be able to move on to the professional level is if they attend one year of college and play basketball, due to the NBA's changing their eligibility rules.

The reality is that in order to declare for the NBA draft, it is not required of an athlete to have participated on the basketball team of an NCAA school.

The rule states that an athlete is eligible to declare for the NBA draft four years after his high school graduation, even if he does not decide to enroll in college or play on the basketball team.

Also, if an athlete signs a contract with a basketball team overseas, then, as long as he plays under his contract, he can declare for the NBA draft upon meeting the other requirements.

Therefore, if any college basketball player wants to complain that he is being exploited by the NCAA, then he has the simple option of not participating in a sport run by the NCAA.

Better yet, he has the opportunity to go play basketball overseas without losing any hope of making it into the NBA. Playing overseas provides the athlete with an opportunity to get paid while playing basketball, which college basketball doesn't offer, and for a good reason.

But what reason does the NCAA have for not paying college basketball players a portion of the several billion dollars they make on a yearly basis?

The reason is simple: those kids are there to learn and to build a future for themselves, both on and off the court. They are not there to make money!

Yes, I know that theoretically, many kids who go to play college basketball at a college/university only go there for one year with their primary focus being basketball. Their primary goal is not to earn an education.

However, these athletes have to understand that the primary focus of their institution is for their enrolled students to receive an education that will last them a lifetime.

Basically, these students are being trained and prepared to work in the professional world once they are out of the institution.

The basketball players have it all wrong in believing that the institution should appreciate them more than they appreciate the institution.

Recently, I heard an argument made that these athletes have to put in a lot of extra time into their institution, due to the fact that they are participating in a sport. This means they are constantly practicing, traveling, and playing games. Therefore, they should at least be paid a little extra money in their scholarships for the amount of time put into their activity

Guess what? They are preparing for the rigors of an entire professional season of nonstop traveling, living in hotels, and playing games in-between.

It really is just that simple.

Just like many students are required to complete internships or observation hours for their fields of study, these college athletes are expected to prepare themselves for professional basketball, whether it be in the NBA or another league, by shadowing what the professionals do. Just like an internship and observation hours, they are not paid for their efforts.

Sure, college athletes probably put in more hours into their season than a student completing an internship or observation hours. However, once they make it to the professional level, they are also usually paid a whole lot more than the student who finds a career after completing their internship and observation hours.

It's just a price that they have to pay if they want to make money on the professional level.