FanNation

     All over America, one bg topic in sports can always raise a good agrument: should college athletes be paid? After all, they do make money for their school. Shouldn't they get a cut of the dough? Well, I think no, and I'm here to tell you why.

    Hard work. Determination. Dedication. Excellence. These qualities are what make sports great, and nowhere are these things more evident than in college sports. College athletes do not play for money, they play for the love of the game. Paying them would just ruin the marvelous establishment that the NCAA is right now. College athletes should not be paid because these students could not handle the money, college scholarships are payment, and it would ruin the integrity of the sports.

            Paying college athletes for their services would not be a good idea because the young men and women probably wouldn't be able to handle that kind of money. While they are participating in these sports, these young men and women are only 18 to 23 years old, still kids, and are not ready to handle being paid a lot of money. Kids this young would not have their priorities right in spending this money. These college kids would spend their money not on essential items, but on things like drugs, steroids, alcohol, and jewelry. This is not what we need for these student athletes. If they were paid, then big-money endorsements would have to be allowed, too. When pro athletes are presented with the opportunities to make money from endorsements, they sign at will to make more money. These professional athletes are usually mature enough to handle influence from the companies, but young college athletes may not be smart enough. They could be bought out and influenced to make decisions based on what the sponsors want. Also, these college athletes are students firsts, athletes second. If they were paid, there would no reason for them to even take part in their college classes and responsibilities. Instead of living like all the other students at the university, they would be living like kings in their off campus mansions, with class being the last thing on their minds. Giving these teenagers large amounts of money would definitely not be the best thing for them.

            Unlike professional sports, college sports have real integrity and athletes play for the love of the game. For one thing, the purpose of a college is to educate its students, not to hire the best athletes to make the school money. Today's college athletes still go to classes and learn from their teachers, just like the student-athletes during the early days of college sports. If they were paid, they probably wouldn't even go to classes, making them employees, not students. Instead of institutions of higher learning, colleges would become businesses, trying to be the highest bidder to "buy" 18 year olds. This auctioning could create a large gap between the talent levels of rich and the less fortunate college's teams, destroying the amazing parody and Cinderella stories that make NCAA athletics so great. Not paying athletes allows all teams, big and small, to have an equal chance at a title. Paying the athletes would also damage the integrity of the sports, which are athletics at their finest. College sports are just kids playing for the love of the game and a chance to accomplish something as a team. Getting to see people from all different backgrounds and communities come together to reach a common goal is a beautiful thing that is now only present in college sports. Making NCAA athletes paid professionals would make it just another pro league, which not it not being has made us turn to them in the first place.

    In fact, college athletes are rewarded for their contributions to their university, with a college scholarship. A scholarship allows these lucky men and women who may not otherwise get a good education to get one. Many of these athletes are poor, and would not be able to afford college on their own. Their athletic scholarship gives them a chance to become educated and get a good job. Plus, most college athletes never end up making a living as professional athletes. Almost all minor sports, and even most major sports athletes end up as doctors, lawyers, businessmen, or many other good jobs. These jobs may not be attainable for them without athletic scholarships. Also, do not believe crap like this from former University of Michigan basketball player Chris Webber that he "couldn't even afford a Big Mac at McDonald's". These scholarships provide a full tuition, room and board, and an adequate amount of food. If an athletes wants to spend all their extra money on alcohol and electronics, that is there own decision. Part of the college life is learning to live on a budget and with responsibilities. So in reality, these students are paid for their efforts, with a free education.

College athletes should not be paid. College sports should be extracurricular, plain and simple. All over America, young women and men are not just learning about sports, but about life, on these teams. Losing this amazing amateur league that has been created and the purity of the "student-athlete" would be a terrible thing for sports fans everywhere.