This debate never gets old does it?
Every year people scream and complain that college athletes should be "compensated" for their work on the field. We hear that because college athletes generate money to the university they should get money back. Maybe we should pay high school athletes too, they generate money. College athletes in major universities don't pay for transportation, tuition or team facilities. On top of a free ride the school should pay them as well? Not a chance.
So here's the top 10 reasons we shouldn't pay college athletes:
10. Contract Disputes
You think 30 year old NFL players complain a lot? You haven't seen anything yet.
Signing bonuses, multi-year deals, and salary would be a never ending settlement. Imagine a player not being able to leave college because it's in his contract? The controversy surrounding 18-22 year olds with contracts and performance would be a game in itself.
9. Sends a bad message
Is this what we want elementary and middle school students to see? As soon as they see this they will be demanding pay at the high-school level. The message College Sports would be sending is "its ok to hold out for more money and it's ok to only pay some athletes but not others." Every kid will grow up wanting to join the football team just regardless of talent.
8. Recruiting won't exist
If college football (legally)paid their athletes it wouldn't last.
The recruiting process would be no more. It would result in one dominant conference for each sport and about two hand fulls of dominant teams. The smaller schools in smaller markets would not be able to compete with the big universities resulting in loss of programs for many schools.
7. What level or division does it end?
Most "pay college athletes" groups favor paying Division one athletes.
Why not pay division two and three athletes? Do female athletes get paid as well? How about community college athletes. You can't pay some but not all, that would be hypocritical. All of those groups generate revenue.
6. It's not what college is about
College is a provided service by each state. College athletes are not professionals and therefore should not be paid.The purpose of going to college is to get the training so you can use it later. That's what the NCAAF provides. Athletes play at the college level and they further use that experience at the professional level where they will be paid, like others.
5. What about High School athletes?
"College athletes should be paid because they generate money for their schools."
That's the argument we hear constantly, and if that's the case high school athletes should be paid. Let me just say now and clarify, I don't believe high school athletes should be paid, I'm just debunking their theory. There's thousands of high schools that depend on the athletic program to keep afloat.
4. Who's going to pay for it all?
I'm no economist, but it's pretty much common sense if college athletes get paid, costs will go up.