The dilemma about college athletes getting paid is not new. Many people think they should get paid, but that's not my case and I'm gonna tell you why.
It's clear that college athletes have a huge talent that is comparable to professional athletes, but I think they should not get paid. After all, they are college students who don't play sports for a living. It may be true that a large number of the students that play sports like basketball and football in college are aiming to be pros in the future, but that does not mean they should get any economic benefit while playing for a non-professional team.
You may ask: if they don't get paid, what benefit do they get for playing a sport in college? Well, it's true that they don't get an economic benefit, but the athletes get compensated in other ways. College athletes are often promoted by their colleges. Big companies such as the NFL (National Football League) and NBA (National Basketball Association) notice them and approach them with deals. This is a huge advantage for college players who want to become pros in the future because once they graduate from college, it's very likely that a professional team will try to sign them.
This is a picture of Patrick Mahomes who had an amazing college career and now he is now the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Picture from https://www.cbssports.com/
In some cases, there are economic benefits to being a college athlete, not directly from the college, but from brands. In most cases, the franchise players for big colleges such as Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, UF (University of Florida), Ohio State, Georgia State, etc. get sponsored by big brands such as Nike and Puma. A clear case of this is the case of Clemson Senior Trevor Lawrence who is the QB for the Clemson Tigers. Trevor is Sponsored by Nike and gets paid to wear all the clothes they provide. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
The benefit of playing in college may not always be economic, but it definitely gives the players opportunities for the future. Colleges already do enough for their players and should not give them any type of economic reward. Ultimately, the pride that comes with representing one’s alma mater and the investment into one’s professional future should suffice.
This is a picture of Deshaun Watson, an amazing Clemson QB who got drafted to the Houston Texans.
Picture from https://www.si.com/
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