Should College Athletes Get Paid

Should College Athletes Get Paid

Athletes all over the country enjoy playing sports; some do it for the passion of the game and others do it for the money. Professional athletes are paid thousands of dollars a year to show off their talents and bring money into bigger businesses. Though college athletes do the same, maybe even more, as professionals they aren’t getting any money in return. Paying athletes might bring stability and maybe some relief to college students, but would it be right? The ethical and financial consequences of paying college athletes substantially outweigh the benefits. Paying college athletes would seem like a great idea in the beginning but in the long run will cause corruption and chaos in the sports industry.
Paying college athletes comes with many benefits. College athletes not receiving full scholarships find it difficult to pay for college because of their busy schedules. So the solution that countless amounts of people develop is offering to pay the athletes for their performances. This solution may help to an extent but has some ethical flaws. College athletes are ultimately there to get an education that will help them in the future. Paying the athletes money will create a sense of laziness in their studies so that the can focus more on their athletics. But the overall perspective on the matter is that less than 2% of college athletes go on to become professionals. The other 98% will have to rely on their college degrees to help them establish a career (Doc H). Yes, college sports are bringing in billions of dollars into the school but that money isn’t just sitting there. It is going to facilities and coach that will make the team and school better.   Another reason why college athletes shouldn’t be paid is the risk of corruption. During the recruiting process, colleges would use the “salary card” to bribe students to attend their school (Doc E). Students shouldn’t have to compare schools based on how much they are going to...