Should College Athletes Be Paid? Question

--Audience Question: What is your opinion on paying college athletes?

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[BCNeil]

I think America needs to concern itself why student athletes can get into a university if they can't read.  Before they worry about paying them. 

[bennattj]

The problem is that these semi-pro sports like football, basketball, and baseball shouldn't even be attached to colleges.  They should be paid like semi-pro players.  If they want an education, let them attend a community college on their salary.  Some of the players are serious students (or at least take school seriously).  If they can get into a major university on their academic merit, then let them.

[chadedwards]

I think I share Louis' view. I think that college athletes should be able to do endorsements with the private sector, just like any other citizen. I don't think that paying them is the answer though.
People tend to forget that there are other college sports, other than football, (which is highly lucrative due to TV contracts with ESPN, ect.) that dont bring in the sponsorship dollars. For example, with what money are college's going to pay their swim team with? The wrestling team? The polo team? The lacrosse team?
Also if we paid college athletes then you would start down the slippery slope of colleges competing over athletes with bigger and bigger contracts. Then once the contracts have reached a certain amount, you can't expect the college to then NOT put emphasis on the sport over the actual classroom. It's a recipe for disaster.

[politicaloptimist]

I think education and sports should be separate. Sports are a hobby like fishing. Would you give someone a fishing scholarship? hahahahaha!  
  Sports have nothing to do with education. Most athletes that go pro are broke with in five years after their carrier ends and their bodies are ruined. 
  FYI, Smaller state universities loose money on all sports. And even in the big schools, the stadiums are paid for and maintained by tax dollars. The big schools run at loss if you count that. 
 With online classes and tech schools becoming more popular than traditional universities, it is just a matter of time before college sports are a thing of the past. 

[WattsFlyyest]

College level players should be paid. They are full time students + football & basketball players. Some students practice more than 50 hours a week for free just so the NCAA can make billions a year off of their labor

[GSMillion]

Most of yall commenting and saying "athletes should not be paid" have not even played sports in college so you don't know the struggle athletes go through on a daily basis. Athletes nowadays spend at least 45 hours a week on their sport with having to combine school that most of you regular students have the luxury of time with. 45 hours a week is basically a full time job so I think they definitely deserve at least a small portion of the billions of dollars coming in every year.

[rampage]

I dont think they should be paid by the college, but they should be allowed to get sponsors and use their position as college players to get paid in some way via the private sector. 

[trevorgrover]

if they get a full ride scholarship, then they shouldnt get another fucking cent

[wp]

pay, don't pay. just leave my money alone.

[oliviergoulet]

He needs a Sports channel.. Perhaps another guy to host it if he doesn't know much about sports... Just link the channel

[KangaKucha]

David Pakman

That is the most stupid idea ever. You do that, college football goes private and becomes another NFL knockoff.

If the NCAA has issues, do what CIS does. Heck CIS had playoffs long before.

[MarkRushow]

Well you could say they go to college to go pro so in a sense they are getting the education for the sport whether they make it or not. I would say you play the college sport for let's say four years with your paid college education on hold until after that four years. Kind of similar to the military or something. Dunno just thoughts.

[therrydicule]

Athlete director do not deserve that much money, and student-athlete should deserve more bursary and stuff like that... But that's it.