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  • September 26, 2008 09:19 PM ET

NMI Tourney Final Four - Should College Athletes Be Paid?

Zapp Brannigan (18-2-0) vs The Ram (149-17-4)
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In the words of Will Smith: Aw hell naw!

PAY college athletes? First off, do you know how many college athletes there are? Hundreds and hundreds of athletes, in some larger schools even thousands, of vary sports (from football and basketball to volleyball and swimming). Unless there is some unlimited source of cash I'm not aware of, you wouldn't be able to pay these guys more than a pittance anyways.

And WHO will be shelling out these big bucks? The colleges? Few of them are exactly swimming in cash. Private investors? Good luck getting enough money from charity like that, especially if the team isn't good. Tax dollars? Why pay for healthcare and education when you can pay kids still in school?

The difference between pro sports and college sports is that pro sports are an occupation. These guys don't need cash to survive in the real world like pro athletes, they're still at school! College sports should be secondary to actual learning anyways, unless Nike recently opened a university.

And what about scholarships? Aren't these ALREADY basically ways to pay for collegiate athletes, at least some of them? Is there something I'm missing, hidden by the blinding white FN background?


Athletes do not forfeit their rights as Americans just because they choose to play collegiate football. The NCAA is grossly overstepping its bounds by prohibiting players to receive payment of any kind for anything.

Since when does the NCAA have authority over the Constitution?

If a college student were approached because someone wanted to put their face on a T-shirt, every student could accept that offer...except athletes. Why is that? Why should the profits from a jersey (that ONLY sells because of the athlete it represents) go to everyone but the athlete?

The NCAA and the University should not own an athlete. A school can use its athletes to sell whatever it wants and tell the athlete to shut up and eat the mess hall gruel. It is exploitation.

I'm not advocating exorbitant salaries for every womens water polo player. Or that every athlete should get paid, but an athlete should be paid commensurate to the revenue they create for the school or themselves.

Imagine a English student writing and publishing a bestselling novel...and all of the money going to the school and the NCAA. The writer is told to shut up and like it since they're getting an education out of it.


Uhh...I suppose colleges are also overstepping the Constitution by not allowing students to have guns on campus, right? It says right there in the 2nd Amendment I have the right to bear arms, just ask Seung-Hui Cho.

So what you're saying is that only certain players should be paid? The ones who aren't in the spotlight enough should be ignored? How fair.

Your English student comparison is also not all that valid. If the English student wrote the novel in an English club FOR the school then your comparison would be a bit more valid. Just writing a novel is completely separate from the school, but when you play on a sports team you represent the entire school.

And you still haven't explained where all that money is coming from. Few colleges have deep pockets, remember.

The idea of a college is not some semi-pro league where athletes get to hone their skills before heading for the pros...it is a place of LEARNING. Athletics are and should be secondary, but what you are suggesting is that we turn student-athletes into athlete-students. It just doesn't make any sense.

And again, aren't scholarships already ways of giving back to the athletes? Seems that way to me.


A student doesn't have to live on campus. They can live off campus and own all the weapons they want. They still have that right and the NCAA can't decree otherwise.

You think it's unfair that good/popular athletes get paid more? Hate to break this to you, but that's life. If you're good at something you get paid more. An extra in a movie does not receive the same pay as George Clooney.

So the University is justified in shafting the English student? Ok, even if I buy that, then clearly the English student is still allowed to write for other purposes to earn money, correct? Shouldn't an athlete? The **** NCAA decrees from on high that a football player can't earn money doing ANYTHING (see Jeremy Bloom). Athletes should have the right to earn money on their own merit. Commercials, appearances, origami, cup stacking, whatever. They should absolutely be paid for those things.

Where's the money??? Let's see...Chinese sweatshop makes 10,000 Vince Young Texas jerseys at a cost of $2 each. Jerseys then sell for $120, that's $1.18 Million in profit that goes to...everyone BUT Vince Young. Then there's the 100,000 attendees who, I assume, did not pay with Monopoly money.


Alright, first off, the only people who would buy Vince Young T-Shirts nowadays are his mother and fantasy owners who feel shafted. Oh yes, and Porkins, seeing as these are the only T-Shirts that come in sizes of XXXXL.

An extra in a movie does not receive the same pay as George Clooney, but he DOES get paid. You suggested not that certain players should be paid more, but that worse players shouldn't be paid at all! Doesn't that kind of defeat your whole point?

And back to your Vince Young analogy...that only works for big name athletes, of football and basketball. Who wants to buy a T-Shirt of Rex McGillicutty, origami extraordinaire? Or Billie Joe Dinkleberg, cup stacking team captain?

And people can't exactly bring weapons to schools, can they? The right to BEAR arms, not own arms. Colleges are infringing on my rights! How un-American!

The English student certainly can write for other purposes to make money, just as the college athlete can join a semi-pro league for all I care. But the English student writing has no relation to the college itself, whereas the athlete PLAYS for the college team! It's a major difference!


Oh, you're a tricksy hobbit. But I won't let you twist that.

You have free speech, but you can't yell "fire" in a movie theater. You have the right to bear arms (or arm bears), but that doesn't mean I have to let you in my house with a gun. Colleges have the right to keep guns off their property. However, they have NO right to dictate what their students do off of their premises.

Including earning income.

I notice you failed to address Jeremy Bloom. That the NCAA can ban a football player for making a living as a professional skiier is grossly overstepping their authority. If an athlete can earn an income (that is, get paid), they have a right to do that.

Student athletes, huh? Yeah. I'm sure Texas wanted Vince Young and his "Cat In The Hat" reading level to build their academic prestige. They are a football factory that rakes in a huge amount of money due to the efforts of people who get none of that money. That is simply wrong. A university that takes in millions in tickets, concessions, parking, jerseys, T-shirts, hats, and broadcasting rights should be forced to recriprocate a portion of that money to the people who actually earn it.

Comments (23) Add A Comment

September 26, 2008  10:03 PM ET
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No but they are.

September 27, 2008  01:43 PM ET
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they are paid already under the table

September 27, 2008  02:14 PM ET
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They should, but I'll wait until arguments are finished. Maybe only a few hundred a month.

September 27, 2008  02:19 PM ET
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For what reason Hank? Top students don't get paid, the get scholarships but they don't get paid so why should athletes be paid?

September 27, 2008  02:21 PM ET
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QUOTE(#4):
Originally posted 02:19 PM ET  09.27 by National

For what reason Hank? Top students don't get paid, the get scholarships but they don't get paid so why should athletes be paid?

Top students don't create any revenue. Top athletes do.

September 27, 2008  02:37 PM ET
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<---------------------------------------------

So far, dont worry Ram, you know me I check TD's 3 and 4 times, if not more......Can always swing my vote right if you bring heat.......

September 27, 2008  02:52 PM ET
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What the heck? Great. Now it looks like I cussed out the NCAA.

September 27, 2008  02:56 PM ET
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Students create tremendous revenue for Universities. Arguably, their success creates the reputation from which people choose to apply.

In many universities, successful students probably get more grant money from the state than the entire athletic department produces.

September 27, 2008  02:57 PM ET
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Now starting Shooting Guard for your USC Trojan's .... Kobe Bryant!!!!

September 27, 2008  03:06 PM ET
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Good TD, Ram.

September 27, 2008  04:36 PM ET
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I think I'll hold off on posting my final argument until tomorrow. Let this TD marinate for a while.

September 27, 2008  06:45 PM ET
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I actually did a debate about this topic last year in school.
I posted it on Fannation.

Here's the Link
http://www.fannation.com/blogs/post/188857

Hope it helps

September 27, 2008  09:30 PM ET
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QUOTE(#4):
Originally posted 02:19 PM ET  09.27 by National

For what reason Hank? Top students don't get paid, the get scholarships but they don't get paid so why should athletes be paid?

Actually that's wrong. There are students who get academic scholarships who are also offered stipends if the university wants them to attend the school.

I think ya missed his point there Zapp. Rammy was saying that players could be paid commensurate with what their sport brings to the university.

You know they're making money hand over fist with booster support, tickets, fan gear, television deals, bowl berths and so on.

Yes, the big universities have deep pockets, especially those who have endowments from trusts and alumni.

The small schools? Well they're getting the shaft anyway because they're usually not in the BCS bowl conferences anyway so that's moot to the argument.

September 27, 2008  09:31 PM ET
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QUOTE(#11):
Originally posted 04:36 PM ET  09.27 by The Ram

I think I'll hold off on posting my final argument until tomorrow. Let this TD marinate for a while.

Mmmm. Marinate it in a fine Italian dressing and put it on the grill tomorrow at a tailgate party.

September 27, 2008  09:32 PM ET
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QUOTE(#7):
Originally posted 02:52 PM ET  09.27 by The Ram

What the heck? Great. Now it looks like I cussed out the NCAA.

You know you did Ram. Just admit it. It's okay. The almighty NCAA needs to be cussed out.

September 28, 2008  01:20 AM ET
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Interesting TD.

September 28, 2008  01:20 PM ET
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Great TD, slight edge to the right in arguments.

September 28, 2008  02:05 PM ET
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Great TD.

1st argument - Zapp wins
2nd Argument - Ram
3rd argument - Zapp

Zapp gets my vote, but barely.

September 28, 2008  02:50 PM ET
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I HATE it when people continue their arguments in the comments. I honestly do.

But I have to hate myself right now, because of this:

"However, they have NO right to dictate what their students do off of their premises."

That's true Ram, but players don't play college football in their spare time off-campus, do they?

God do I hate myself right now...

 
September 28, 2008  04:02 PM ET
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QUOTE(#19):
Originally posted 02:50 PM ET  09.28 by Zapp Brannigan

God do I hate myself right now...

Don't worry. We all hate you.

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