College Athletes Should Be Paid - 2238 Words

Some people would say that a person who works fifty to sixty hours a week without pay is being taken advantage of. For example, think of college athletes, and the labor they assert for no pay. College athletes spend massive amounts of time to dedicate themselves to their sport and their studies. They help the NCAA earn exuberant amounts of money, but see little in return. The only benefit college athletes receive today is scholarships, which sometimes do not even cover full-tuition or meal plans. In the opinion of former Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby and many other players, a scholarship is not enough (Briggs). Players are often forced to struggle through college by taking out loans to pay for expenses that are not covered by their†¦show more content†¦This is nearly impossible, however, as being a student-athlete is a full time job in itself. Bradley Roby said, â€Å"How these colleges are running football programs now, it s just like the NFL. It s about results, it s about winning. That s what the game is about. Classes, working out, performing week in and week out† (Briggs). Roby’s point of view is one that is seen widely across college athletes. The expectations of the players have grown, but their reward for success has not matured at the same rate. Many of the student-athletes that go on to attend a university live at or below the poverty level growing up. Some people may think that this is less of an issue once the athlete is in college, as they receive tuition and housing free. This is obviously not the case, however, as those student-athletes sometimes struggle to get food to eat, and have to take out loans to cover their expenses. As Bradley Roby said, â€Å"You can still have a scholarship and not have food. Not everybody comes from a decent background† (Briggs). Students’ going into debt in college is also a legitimate concern. As another source said, â€Å"The average full-scholarship athlete accumulates $ 3,200 in debt for each year they re in school, according to a recent study, because meal plans and other incidentals often aren t fully covered† (Majorel). Athletes’ not having enough food to eat was an issue in the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. University of Connecticut star Shabazz Napier