Should College Athletes Be Paid?

[farmerbyron]

GIven their restrictions on working, they pretty much have zero spending cash. I believe a small stipend is in order!

ETA: there are a few schools that pay with the blessing of the NCAA, so why not everyone?

If they need spending cash above what they already receive, they can always get student loans. The way I see it, they are getting paid 30k a year already so what would it hurt them to take out a loan and pay it back when they get a big contract or graduate with a degree after receiving a free education.

 

[JB Books]

Absolutely they should be paid. They generate tons of revenue for their schools, particularly schools with big programs. It requires a ton of extra time and work as a college athlete. Patrick is right about the restrictions, they are crazy.

Pay those kids (and give me my 10%).

 

[Glocktogo]

If they paid anyone it should be the honor students. If the quality of a college education is based on academic criteria and parents want to send their kids to a good school, doesn't it follow that they'd want to attract the best and brightest?

I look at college athletics as the slick, glossy ad campaign for the school. After all, does Honda sell more F-1 race cars, or Civics & Accords?

 

[LightningCrash]

Only if the entire faculty is paid nothing and all education programs are done away with.

 

[MLRyan]

Now when you say "athletes", who are you referring to? Football, basketball, baseball aren't the only college sports. Most of the other sports don't get full rides like the big 3 do. Are we going to pay them too? What about collegiate quidditch? Are we going to pay these guys too?

 

[Zombie]

Pay em...and hell not every athlete gets a full ride. As far as what sports football and basketball for sure - big money makers with definite risk and they work hard

 

[.45Fats]

and then we can start slipping the High school teams a little extra cash for the players.

 

[Rod Snell]

So, has anyone considered that turning college athletes into paid pros disqualifies them from amateur status for competition with the rest of the world, including world championships and the Olympics?
Who are we going to put on our Olympic basketball team, high school all-stars? Or are we only going to compete in minor Olympic sports tht don't make big bucks for the colleges?

 

[cjjtulsa]

Hell no they shouldn't be paid; don't you go to college for an education? Some of the dolts that come out of the "athletic" universities can barely read or write. How about ditching college athletics completely, and using universities to.......actually educate kids?

Maybe then we could actually compete with the rest of the world in critical areas. But then new cures and inventions aren't imortant, so long as some guy can throw a ball through a hoop or run 8 yards at a time with a ball - especially if there's hundreds of other people that will pay $100 a game to watch it.

 

[MLRyan]

Hold on a second. Education in schools? Not in my 'Murrica. Pro athletes in general are paid too much.