You hear all the time from professional sports critics that pro athletes are selfish and play for nothing more than a paycheck. These critics also claim that college sports are superior because the athletes play for the so-called right reasons…but is this really true?
With yet another improper benefits scandal surfacing in the NCAA, the seemingly endless debate over whether or not college athletes should be paid is as prominent as ever. Just when you thought the illegal incentives violations couldn’t get worse, the University of Miami came along and took the issue to a whole new level. This time, the scandal is so serious that there is talk of the NCAA ordering the death penalty for the Hurricanes’ entire sports program.
The rate of incidents involving improper benefits in the NCAA have unquestionably continued to increase in magnitude and frequency, which is further tarnishing the public image of collegiate athletics. These violations inevitably lead to the ever so popular idea of paying college athletes. This loaded idea comes with a whole host of issues that have experts and fans arguing about what is the best move for the NCAA to take.
Those who favor paying college players argue that college institutions ultimately use their star athletes as a means to generate significant revenue. They argue that giving these athletes a salary would be a sensible way to limit schools from branding their players to gain profit, and would also eliminate incentive violations.
Last time I checked, not all Universities are financial equals, which is a major issue when it comes to paying players. If dollar amounts become a factor, powerhouse schools will undoubtedly have an advantage recruiting players, leaving little or no hope for any other school to reel in solid players. Paying players may also cause a scarcity in the presence of beloved Cinderella teams. Decreasing the number of Cinderellas and giving the powerhouses even more of an advantage in recruiting could change the college game altogether.
If college players are paid to play will they become as money hungry as some believe the pros are? Although us pro sports fans feel that professional athletes play with equal passion, we can’t argue that there is special vibe and heart to the college game that makes it distinct from all other brands of sport. College athletes have commonly been portrayed as playing for reasons that go far beyond the value of a paycheck, which is an aspect of the NCAA image that must be saved.
A paycheck will naturally attract a player fresh out of high school and could change the atmosphere of a college campus. Paying student athletes will set them apart from other students on campus, which can diminish the value of the players being just like “any other student.” Students’ spirit for their team may decrease if they feel they are not equals to the players on the team.
Can college fans trust that their teams will maintain the love-of-the-game dynamic when money is involved? Or have we all decided that the ongoing scandals have ruined this dynamic anyways, so why not just pay’em?
To maintain popularity in the sports world you have to have an edge, and the edge that makes college sports so exciting for fans would disappear faster than LeBron James in the fourth quarter if the NCAA decides to pay its players (Sorry LBJ, low blow). The college game needs fixing, and paying players is one plan that could change the game forever.
Written by Conner O’Kelley
Edited by Sarah Gross
Image Source: doughroller.net
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