Should college athlete's be paid? -Adam Goodwyn

          Over the past several years, there has been much debate over whether or not college athletes should be paid. Proponents to reform believe that college athletes deserve to be paid due to the revenue that athletes' sports bring into their schools and the time that the athletes are forced to devote outside of the classroom. On average, college athletes dedicate 43 hours to their sport, which is more than an average work week. Add on classes and studying hours, and these athletes are working 70-80 hours a week at a minimum. Additionally, athletes' game schedules force them to miss classes and other educational resources provided throughout the school day. To put the numbers into perspective, in 2013, major conference college football coaches were paid, on average, $2.03 million, while college athletes earned nothing (Seattletimes.com). Nick Johnson, former point guard for the University of Arizona, earned an estimated $2.23 million for the university over his career. His 4-year $41,000 scholarship dwarfs in comparison (Tuscon.com). Good news came for proponents in August, as ex-UCLA basketball star Ed’ O Cannon won his federal legal battle. The ruling demanded that residual compensation be given for athletes’ popularity in videogames and broadcasts. It will be interesting to see if this ruling brings on a snowball effect for future reform.

            On the other side, opponents have two arguments. First, many argue that the education these athletes receive is not quantifiable and that they are students before they are athletes. Moreover, they argue that if athletes start being paid, it will only further increase their distractions and their education would suffer. Second, many argue that a pay structure for college athletes would be extremely hard to implement and would have many unintended consequences. There are many questions that would need to be answered before a system could be implemented. For example, would player's pay be based on talent? If so, how would talent be judged and ranked? If not, would salaries be a flat rate across the board? Secondly, would men and women be paid the same? If so what are the Title XI implications?

            In the future, this issue will only attract more attention, as college sports keep growing in popularity and revenue. Questions will keep arising in regards to what is the best policy for these athletes, ensuring that they receive the best possible education, while also making sure they are properly compensated for their hard work and talents.