The growing plethora on the debate regarding the act of compensating collegiate student athletes has interest not only sports aficionados, the academe but the society in general. Many people question the practice as somewhat inappropriate and a precursor to encouraging the youth to lose focus on their academics and their primary purpose for education. Many believe that students are being lured to participate in sports because of the financial reward that they can get from becoming a student athlete. Thus, students’ priorities are divided because of this practice. In addition, many assumes that when a student deemed that the rewards of athletic participation is rewarding and they become scouted by professional athletic associations, they decide to abandon their education and focus on making sports as a career. While there is nothing wrong with this perception, it leaves a daunting image to the plight of academic institutions are deteriorating because rather than serving a purpose for education and preparing the future of the generation, it is being used as an outlet by professional athletic associations to draw money making professionals whose expiry date is as good as when they hit their mid-thirties. Given all the issues, controversies and concerns, it is the goal of this paper to enumerate recommendations for future study that would help explain the phenomenon and help address the problem.
In an article written by Erik Jensen, the author mentioned that student athletes are almost like an employee to a college and university because they provide service which in return draws income for the organization (p. 31-32). In academic year 2012-2013, Northwestern University reported making a net income of $8.4 from their football team alone (p.32). However, student athletes are not being compensated for this and were only receiving athletic scholarships in return for their service. A corporate and taxation lawyer argues that this practice is not fair for the students because they are almost mimicking the role of the employee bringing in money for these colleges and universities for free. The scholarships that these athletes receive are not sufficient compensation because colleges and universities are not exactly spending money for these “benefits.” In this regard, a good recommendation for future study would be to enumerate the cost involving student athletes. Specifically this refers to how much money a student athlete makes for the colleges and universities and how much money these academic institution make from the athletes and how much they spend per athlete. This will equally balance the rewards that both parties get from the agreement to allow students to play in athletic exhibitions.
More so, there has been a debate going on in the National Collegiate Athletic Association concerning payment for the college athletes. The debate focuses whether the students should get additional money apart from the traditional scholarships (Michael et al, 107). The proposed topic for future research can help with providing justifications for the recommendation that student athletes should get financial compensation for playing apart from the traditional scholarship. As a result of the sporting activities, schools are getting money from the televised sporting activities especially basketball and football. However, the players are not getting enough compensation to cater for all their expenses. They spend most of their time in sports especially after their academics. Thus, they should get enough compensation especially those who come from low-income earning families. An issue of payment of tax has arisen. They said that establishing a professional sport’s program will require paying a substantial amount of money (Jensen, 33). Tax will be imposed on all the activities that generate income, and they are sport oriented. All the revenue will be flowing as a result of the sports activities should be taxed by law. The football teams are greatly profitable (Byrd, Mixon, Wright, 225). The students participating in the sporting activities will only be employees if the activities they engage in will generate enough income for the sporting activities. Employees in any organization are supposed to pay for the services if they are engaged in the income generating processes.
Recent research showed that there is a link between the current compensation and revenue received by the football programs (Jensen, 34). The senior coaches are greatly compensated to increase their efforts in the sporting activities. However, they must ensure that the teams perform better and give them better results. They must be creative and come up with greater projects and ways in the football arena. They must take a step in ensuring that they build up successful team that will bring in income into the institution (Byrd, Mixon and Wright, 226).
Compensation of the use of students’ photos and images by the NCAA brought a great debate. The students argued that they had to be compensated because they have a right to privacy Erin, 151). The students are supposed to receive compensation because of the use of their images in the promotion of the NCAA activities because they were obtaining cash from the events. Research by Barbara and Margaret established that the students support the payments because they “receive a substantial economic benefit for playing [sports like] football” (38).
The NCAA argued that they were not supposed to compensate the students because their main drive should be education, mental and physical wellbeing that they drive from the sporting activities. The body drew a clear line of demarcation between the professional sports and the intercollegiate athletes.
In conclusion, the NCAA argued that the students’ team had amateurs. According to their regulations, they believed that the amateurs are not supposed to be paid for their activities (Erin, 156). They are not professionals who majorly depend on the sporting activities. The students are paid through the four-year scholarship that fulfills the main agenda. Additionally, the participation of the students in sports as amateurs provides them with a pathway to the professional sports. As a result, students are urged to focus on their studies and not on the payment from the sporting activities. However, if there will be a call for payment of the sporting activities, a clear line should be drawn to separate the professional students from the amateurs.
According to California Senator Alex Padilla, a bill should be implemented on the athletes’ scholarships. The main aim of the sporting activities should not only be to compete with different teams but also to equip the students with better life skills. The sporting bodies should come up with life skills workshops and provide insurance premiums for the athletes.
Works Cited
D’Aquila, Jean Barbara and Margaret Rudolph. “NLRB Director Finds Scholarship Athletes are Employees.” Employee Relations Law Journal. 40:2 (2014). Print.
In a similar study as Erik Jensen, this article also opens the discussion that student athletes should be compensated for their valuable financial contribution to the schools they are playing for. This paper provide a good defense for the reason why student athletes should be paid for playing for their schools.
Byrd Jennings, Mixon Phillip A. and Wright Alan. “Compensation of College Football’s Head ‘ Coaches: A Case Study in Firm Size’s Effects on Pay.” International Journal of Sport Finance, 8:1 2013. Print.
This article opens a good discussion how universities are really earning from their student athletes. However, the article focused more on the coaches and the warrants of their performance to their financial gains. This article provided good numerical and statistical figures from a valuable resource person who knows exactly how money student athletes bring to universities and whether these students are also being compensated for their service that generate profit for the university.
Cronk, Erin. “Unlawful encroachment: why the NCAA must compensate student athletes for the use of their names, images, and Likenesses.” University of LA Verne law review. 34:2 (2013). Print.
The article is useful particularly in laying out the grounds on the rights to publicity and promotion that student athletes deserve to get from athletic organizations like the NCAA. These organizations rely heavily on the publicity provided by student athletes. However, this paper also provide good argument that open the discussion on providing a written agreement between the universities, the athletic organizations, the students and parents what are the specifications covered by the student athletes participation in these exhibitions.
Jensen, Erik. Taking the Student Out of Student Athlete: College Sports and the Unrelated Business Income Tax. Journal of Taxation of Investments. 10: 19 2014. Print.
This article brings forward a good discussion on the financial gain that colleges and universities earn from allowing students to play competitively in athletic events. The aspect of athletic exhibitions bringing in enormous amount of money for the colleges and universities has been overshadowed by the euphoria and the hype created around the event. However, in this study it was emphasized that schools are earning from their student athletes. This being the case, students should be compensated for their service to the school just like an employee.
Mondello, Michael; Alex Piquero, Nicole Leeper Piquero, Marc Gertz, Bratton, Jake. “Public perceptions on paying student athlete”. Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics, 16:1 (2013) 106-119. Print.
This article speaks about the varying opinion on the opinion of the public regarding paying student athletes. Significant findings determined from this study reveal that on the basis of race and ethnicity, the public has a divided view. They study pointed out that Blacks are more like to get better advantage in this category. The type of game used in the study affected the results of the study since the games used were football and basketball, both dominated by Blacks as it were Whites. This paper will be helpful in the study conducted especially that it discusses the demographic factors that are involved in generating public opinion on compensating student athletes.
