Exploring the Question: Should College Athletes Be Paid?

NCAA’s Power, Corruption, and Exploitation

Taylor Branch’s article “ The Shame of College Sports “ shines a light on the corruption and scandals that exists in collegiate sport. It reveals how the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rose to power and how it affected collegiate football. The branch begins by addressing the power that media has over collegiate football. With millions of viewers, advertising began to thrive, driving money into the hands of the NCAA. College sport has always been deeply engraved in our culture and has brought people together.

The NCAA used this knowledge to exploit college sports to their will. The massive amounts of money generated turned college sports into a “Very Big Business.” He went on to warn how the combination of large amounts of money at the hands of the rich would have “football boosters rabid in their zeal to have their alma mater win, “ with corruption steadily behind. College athletes were being treated less than humanely and controlled by the university. Their hard work and sweat generated all that wealth, and they were not entitled to it.

The amount of revenue generated introduced an immense amount of power and corruption to college football. Power was now n the hands of the NCAA at their disposal. The NCAA began engaging in various illegal activities and scandals within the sport. They began favoring specific athletes by rewarding them with gifts and money, as in the case of Reggie Bush. There was also a great deal of bribing utilized by head coaches to secure players.

Millions of dollars in endorsements to coaches were being paid out while no financial assistance was provided to the athletes. The power of the NCAA grew with the help of Walter Byers, who paved the way for the regulation of television broadcasts through manipulation and lies. The NCAA had the power to choose what sports were available and had major control over basketball and football. Athletes had no authority or say as their own right to healthcare was grasped from them. The terms “student-athlete” and “amateur “ were used to instill fear and for the benefit of the NCAA and its members. They justified those terms to avoid financial responsibility or provide benefits.

Denial of Rights and Financial Exploitation

The “student-athlete” and “amateur” terms were created and used to justify the denial of benefits. They would justify that student-athletes were students first and athletes second, so therefore not employees who could claim benefits. These terms have harmed student-athletes and denied them their basic rights. The NCAA also enacted the “Restitution” law, which denied students the right to an advisor. It was later found that the sole purpose of the enactment of this law was to avoid due process. These athletes were recruited to physically work for the university. They were not provided with quality education but were robbed of one. They were taken advantage of and would up with nothing. The only value they had to the university was for their physical skills.

College football players are still being taken advantage of. In college football, laws have been made by the NCAA to prevent athletes from profiting off their name or brand. Ironically, the NCAA has a full range and can profit any way they choose. Recently, more than 35 million dollars in revenue was generated through a new football video game. Athletes are not entitled to any of the revenue and have no power to claim it. Athletes have been stripped from their dignity in many ways. Branch believes that college athletes should be paid to play. College athletes have been deceived and cheated of the education they were promised. Many stay through the trials in hopes of achieving a professional career. Unfortunately, most do not have the opportunity and are left without educational skills. And with few options.

References:

1. Branch, T. (2011). The Shame of College Sports. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/308643/