Let “Em Play, Let “Em Play, Let ‘em Pay

Student athletes in today’s world take on much adversity in their daily lives. They have school work to handle like any other attendee of their respective school while still putting forth the time necessary to perform on a team representing that school. In addition, being a member of that team means that they are not permitted to do certain things in their lives that other students are, such as receive endorsements or attain other special financial privileges. This is largely based upon the NCAA’s idea that student athletes should maintain status of amateur athletes while competing for their educational institutions. In this day, the NCAA should allow for its athletes to be able to receive outside endorsements without losing their eligibility. This stance, while well intentioned, is outdated and not relevant to the majority of participants in college athletics.

Being an amateur today is quite different from being an amateur ten years ago. Additionally, it is not a fair statement to say that a student cannot make money as an athlete and not still take academics seriously. As collegiate athletes play throughout their years of young adulthood, they have to learn to balance the different aspects of their lives for themselves. Many students have to take on all fiscal responsibilities for themselves upon going to college. Things like feeding themselves, purchasing school materials, transportation to and from their own residence, and other responsibilities that high schoolers rely on their own parents for, are taken up by the students. All athletes must keep certain academic standards up in order to maintain eligibility, a fact to which many schools have a higher standard than the NCAA does. In addition, there are plenty of athletes, most of whom are not part of revenue sports, that must still find outside assistance, be it through outside scholarship, work study, or jobs to work through while participating in athletics and going to school. If this is the case, why is it insisted that the NCAA be able to make money but the rational participants that it consists of unable to acquire their own buck for doing the exact thing they’re doing either way? The competition can’t be said to be about money, for it’s going on right now, when no money is involved for the students. College athletes are not going to all suddenly focus completely on money and not at all on college just because an extra incentive is put in place. They should be given much more credit than they are for handling things responsibly. What’s more is, a good way to prepare the athletes that will go on to professional teams is to give them ways to prepare for the lifestyle changes to come after college. Allowing students to receive endorsements would serve many with a valuable amount experience as far as building their own careers and conducting business.