Fans of college football are in no way oblivious to the time and dedication that being a student athlete takes and in a sport like football it should come as no surprise that the revenue from these games trumps the rights of the students. The series of bowl games that entertain the United States on New Years Day generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the leagues whose teams qualify for these games and yet the students will see none of the profit.
Instead, these students sacrifice the chance to spend the holidays with their families all so that their coaches and league can get a bonus for the free advertising that their accomplishment entitles them to. This national coverage not only attracts prospective applicants who happen to be football fans but they generate revenue by the extra merchandise produced specially for these games and new fans that are attracted by the success of the team. While the argument for a student athlete's status to be maintained does carry some weight the fact of the matter is that students are putting in more work than they are being compensated for. On a team that has dozens of players only a few are granted full or partial scholarships leaving the majority of students to have to worry about how to pay their bills and still succeed in the classroom. While talking with Stanford football players earlier this Fall, one of them voiced their concerns over having their rent increased before they graduate, something that they are unable to afford because they do not have time to work because all of their time is dedicated to the team. While a salary for these players does create many issues compensation in other forms such as housing assistance would greatly benefit these players especially for teams that go on to have highly successful seasons that extend into January, further cutting into these players personal time. Overall, the NCAAF and its teams generate millions of dollars in revenue, little of which is used to benefit the players, and is something that should change not through a salary, but through other forms of compensation that makes the conditions for these laborers much better allowing them to not have to choose between playing a sport they love and paying their bills.Sources
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristidosh/2018/01/01/how-have-college-football-playoff-payouts-compared-to-bcs-a-conference-by-conference-breakdown/#5814aca82938
I think this is a very important topic, and your post does a great job analyzing it. As we have studied in class, athletes are making millions of dollars for their schools, and getting very little in return. Your example of how players cannot see their families and do not have time to make money through a job is a strong argument. Although these things are true, it is almost impossible to fairly pay collegiate athletes. If one team is payed, then every team must be paid. Although sports like football and basketball generate a lot revenue, others like track and tennis don't. Should these players be paid too?
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