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Should College Athletes Be Paid

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Should College Athletes Be Paid
Samuel Wingert
Professor Grimm
ENG100G
Midterm Research Paper
18 October 2012
Collegiate Level “Pay to play? That’s the question being fiercely debated on campuses and across the college conferences. And it’s shocking to see the level of support the answer “yes” is getting—because the idea tears at the very nature of amateur college sports” (Should). There are views from both sides as this is quite the controversial subject in the sporting world. Looking at the facts, it is difficult to decide either way. First off, we must decide what qualifies under the pay to play category. There are numerous ways that college athletes can be compensated for their time dedicated to the sport. They consist of scholarships, free tuition, fees, and room and board. “Athletes on scholarship currently receive tuition, fees, room, board, and books—costs that can exceed $30,000 to $50,000 a year at many schools. Last October, the NCAA agreed to let college conferences decide whether to pay student athletes an additional $2,000 annual stipend to more closely match the total cost of attendance” (Should).
Some of the student athletes that attend college come from poor environments. The athlete and their family cannot offer the money to get them through the hard times of making college payments. “Collegiate athletes deserve to be paid. The scholarships that they receive cover school-related expenses. They cover books, tuition, and room and board. These scholarships allow athletes to attend class, eat, and sleep on campus for free. What they don 't do is give the players money. Many NCAA athletes come from disadvantaged backgrounds, where their families can 't afford to give them money.” (Solution).
Also, is it right to compensate college athletes for their hard work? “What if people in the business of money took $1.3 billion off the top, invested it, sheltered it and made it available to provide a stipend to college athletes, how could anybody stand on principal and



Cited: "Cash Sought for Cam Newton." ESPN.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5765214>. "College Football." Bleacher Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/405726-paid-for-plays-shoud-college-athletes-get-paid>. |, Michael Wilbon. "College Athletes Deserve to Be paid." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/6778847/college-athletes-deserve-paid>. "Should College Athletes Be Paid? Pros and Cons of Each Perspective Part 1." Get2TheLeague.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://www.get2theleague.com/should-college-athletes-be-paid-pros-and-cons-of-each-perspective/>. "Should College Athletes Be Paid to Play? One Fan Weighs In." PARADE.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://www.parade.com/news/all-america/2012/should-college-athletes-be-paid-to-play.html>. "Should College Athletes Get Paid?" Should College Athletes Get Paid? N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://stanfordreview.org/article/should-college-athletes-get-paid/>. "The Solution to the NCAA Pay for Play Controversy." - Technorati Sports. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://technorati.com/sports/article/the-solution-to-the-ncaa-pay/>. "USATODAY.com - Pros, Cons on Pay for Play." USATODAY.com - Pros, Cons on Pay for Play. N.p., 31 Aug. 2004. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/2004-08-31-pros-cons-pay_x.htm>.

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