Should Collegiate Athletes Be Paid?

Speakers
Peter Jaworski,

Release Date
December 4, 2014

Topic

Free Markets and Capitalism
Description

In this video, Professor Peter Jaworski tackles the issue of paying NCAA players. In an $875 million industry where coaches’ salaries are measured in the millions, is there a good justification for compensating student athletes only in scholarships? Jaworski examines the NCAA’s arguments, and presents his own. What do you think–should college athletes be paid?

An article by Doug Bandow which discusses why athletes should be paid, click here.
An article by the WSJ, click here.
An article explaining why collegiate athletes should NOT be paid, click here.

Peter Jaworski:
College football is big business.
This is Nick Saban. In 2013, he made north of $5 million dollars. Kirby Smart, his assistant coach? He made a comparatively meager $1.1 million dollars.
You know, the ushers get paid, the guys who help the athletes do this get paid, the people who sell merchandise make money. Everyone gets paid in dollars and cents–everyone, that is, except for the 18 year olds.
They tackle each other in war without killing, risking injury, concussions… health consequences that last for the rest of their lives. And all for a meager, tiny, infinitesimal chance to maybe make the NFL, or more realistically, become a part of Tuscaloosa’s football lore.
Why shouldn’t these college gladiators get paid?
The  most common reason given by the NCAA and others is that paying student athletes would corrupt them. It would undermine the values and virtues of amateurism in sport. Amateurism is the idea that you should pursue an activity for love of the activity, and not for the love of money.
[grunts as he tackles a dummy]
But why should remuneration be thought to have a corrupting effect? We pay professors and teachers like me, and hardly anybody worries about the corrupting influence of money in teaching. Is it not possible to play football while getting five dollars for an autograph, or maybe wearing a sponsor on your jersey?
But if opponents are so worried about the corrupting power of money, why is the coaching staff immune from it? Or how about the president of the NCAA? This year Mark Emmert will make a cool $1.7 million dollars. Why is it consistent with the goals of amateurism for everyone surrounding the athletes to make money except for those student athletes?
It makes no sense!
In a particularly cruel twist, college athletes get scholarships. And scholarships are in themselves a form of payment. It’s just that the NCAA, they’ve instituted a salary cap. A particularly low salary in an industry that rakes in about $875 million dollars per year. You know, somebody’s getting paid–it’s just not the athletes.
Love of sport and making money at it are not incompatible. College athletes should be paid.
Maybe they can take me out for a fancy dinner for making this video.
Roll tide!
Tim:
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