Steven Cotsalas
Sports and Media
Final Paper
April 28, 2014
Should Division 1 Athletes be Compensated? :

Division one athletes in my opinion should not be compensated, it is a sport that the athlete decided to commit to and play for his/her school. It is an honor and a privilege to play for your university and you shouldn’t tarnish that by asking to be paid for it. The athletes are being recruited for their college team’s sports program, but they are forgetting one thing, these players forget that the university accepted you hoping you would get an education to and not just go pro after one year. Going professional after one year is fine if the athlete is good enough, but the school recruited the athletes to learn something as well, not to just play a sport and forget about your education. Yes, College spots makes millions of dollars for the school and players think they have a right to some of that money, and in my opinion they should but in the sense that the money goes to their education and not leisurely spending. I don’t think college players will be compensated and they shouldn’t be because in my opinion it’s just plain wrong and sends the wrong message. As a student athlete myself, every school in the recruiting process as emphasized to me the importance of school and that school should come first. You are not attending a college/university for the potential "salary" but for the type of education you will be receiving. If you're whining or complaining about a scholarship not being enough to cover your expenses, compare your bills to that of a non-student athlete. Be grateful for the opportunity you are receiving to play a sport you love at a higher level. Or, work harder to get better and then possibly a bigger scholarship. Even better, study harder and earn academic money. Division 1 athletes should not get paid, because they are already getting paid in the form of a free education. Division 1 athletes are also being given the chance to prove themselves as athletes in the hopes of starting a professional career. Division 1 athletes are already given more than enough and do not need cash compensation too. College athletics should still be about college and about pursing their goals and dreams, whichever they deem fit. Non-scholarship athletes who generate funds for colleges and universities should be given scholarships in my opinion.
Colleges make serious profits from jersey sales, tickets, booster gifts etc. And while athletes should not be paid, they should receive some benefits from what they generate for their schools. I do think they have a right to some compensation if they are making money for the school. They should be receiving their education for free, but not getting anything on top of that. It’s simple, they are already being paid, and it’s called a scholarship. In some cases, scholarships can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars over four years whether you sit on