College Athletes: Paid or Played?

As we embark on this 2010 College Football season, I can’t help but reflect on my college football experience as a college football player at Mississippi Valley State University, a Division 1-AA Historically Black College & University in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

I can remember the rigorous schedule that I had to keep with maintaining both my academic and athletic schedules. This schedule consisted of early morning classes until, at the latest, 2pm and, from 3pm until 6pm being in football practice and meetings. After dinner, there would be either study hall, or more meetings and afterwards, it was time to start preparing for the next day. Although I was a student who always wanted to be involved in campus life, it was often very difficult to be involved in other student organizations outside of the classroom and off the football field.

My college experience at Mississippi Valley State University is certainly different than more high profile athletic programs such as Ohio State University, University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of Southern California, etc. These athletes not only have to manage a rigorous schedule, they also have to be able to deal with a heightened profile in which they are now role models to many youth, in the light of every press/media outlet near and far, etc.

Over the past several years, there have been some debate on whether college athletes, especially the athletes from these high profile programs, should be paid other than the form of scholarships, etc. According to Rod Gilmore of Espn.com, he feels that at one time, college football was consistent with the mission of a university to educate and provide for the well-being of its student body. However, college football is no longer very different from NFL. He feels as if college football is a part of the entertainment industry. Adam Powell, of the Blue & White Flash, the official student newspaper at Jackson State University, feels that paying student athletes (cognizant of the word student before athlete) would also ruin the greatest part of college athletics, which is its tradition and innocence.

In contrast, according to allsands.com, college athletes have traditionally been prohibited from taking on outside employment, and although the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has recently begun to allow scholarship athletes to take part-time jobs during the school year, the fact remains the majority of college athletes have severely restricted earning potential during their college career. Some also argue that college athletics, particularly at large and more successful programs, generate large amounts of revenue. Although coaches at these successful programs receive, sometimes, million dollar contracts, players, who are putting themselves at more risk, aren’t able to receive any earnings from their consistent sacrifice from being a traditional college student.

So, the debate continues on which prospective holds more valid on whether college athletes should share in the large revenue generating business or should they simply be contributors to this growing industry?