College Athletics: Deserving of More Compensation
Western Governor’s University

There has been a buzz in college athletics, as of late, about a topic that has been around since the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) put restrictions on amateur athletes. Is education enough compensation for representing a college in sport, and should an amateur athlete be allowed contractual representation? The NCAA and their affiliated schools hide behind the word “amateur”, while making billions of dollars from revenue generated from student-athletes and their likeness. When presenting my research we will dive into certain aspects of compensation not offered, and how the NCAA exploits young men and women through their no pay rules. Maybe outright paying kids is not the answer, but with all the outcry and settlements out of court, it appears that something more must be offered. Amateurism. (2014). NCAA.org. Retrieved from http://www.ncaa.org/amateurism says to qualify as amateur, “an athlete is not permitted to: sign contracts with any professional team, receive salary for participating in athletics, collect prize above actual and necessary expenses, play with professionals, tryout/practice/compete with a professional team, accept benefits from an agent or perspective agent, agree to be represented by an agent, and delay initial full-time collegiate enrollment to participate in organized sports competition.” So, before young athletes can start their dream of moving on to the next level, they need to run a check list. For most athletes these guidelines are no problem, but for the upper echelon of young athletes there could be some snags. In a sport like baseball there is a possibility to be drafted directly out of high school. If a player is in contact with a team’s scout there is no penalty, but if he hires help to decide whether or not