College Athletes Ready for a Career

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball recently said in an interview that college athletes should be paid. Everybody knows everybody's getting paid," Ball said. "That's just how it is. Everybody's getting paid anyway, you might as well make it legal. That's how I feel.(Boone) This is a common opinion that athletes have about the subject. College athletes should not be paid. Many college athletes are on a paid scholarship anyways and get the opportunity to go to school for free. College athletes should just be appreciative for the chance they have. If a player is skilled enough to be paid to play in college, then they should have no problem playing professional sports after college.

By no means is it easy to be a college student-athlete. Having to focus on classes, attend film sessions, practice 17-20 hours a week, games towards the end of the week, workout sessions, etc. College athletes have a lot on their plate with sports and school and are sometimes forced to miss class. These athletes work hard and sacrifice their freetime for no pay at all, but that is just how it should be. When you choose to become a college athlete, you are conscious of your decision and aware of what it takes. As difficult a job these athletes have, they should still not receive pay to play sports at a college level. College is a place where students go to further their education so they can get some kind of successful career they are interested in. The second college-student athletes begin to receive pay, they will see college as a place where they can go to make money, rather than a place to get them ready for a career.

As one begins to consider incorporating revenue for college players, the same important questions arise. How would you determine who gets payed? How do you decide how much you would pay a certain player or team? Would you pay every player on a team? A lot is to be considered. Athletes would obviously want to play for a college who gives out the largest salary, making it difficult for smaller schools to recruit athletes and easier for bigger schools. This would put colleges in competition to see who can have the higher salary. College would quickly transform from a place where you go to get a better education, to more of a competitive business like environment between other schools. When less popular colleges are shut down because they cannot provide a decent sports program, this can deny other students of getting the opportunity at a higher education, which would not be fair. Sports at the collegiate level are still extracurricular activities and should be the second priority under education.

If the NCAA decided to pay college athletes then they would simply be taking away the purity of the game. Players would be more committed to making money, rather than playing a sport that he or she loves or enjoys. College sports would begin to revolve around revenue, and participants would become consumed with the thought of making money as opposed to playing in an extracurricular sport in college. Student athletes may work hard to do the things they do, but when participating in a sport, money should not be their reason for playing. A true athlete continues to play the sport he or she loves because they are passionate about the game, not because of the amount of money they can earn.

Student athletes in college should not receive pay because a number of reasons. A lot may have their own opinion on the matter such as why they should be paid. Continuing to keep money out of the question for college athletes is the best idea. College should not be looked at as a place where athletes can go and get paid to play sports. Collegiate level sports should be looked at as an opportunity to play sports while getting a degree, and in some cases, a place where athletes can be recognized as above average players as well as make it to the next level as a professional where you can make a salary playing the sport you enjoy.

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