Thomas 1
Ashley Thomas
SC105H
Speech to Convince (MLA Format)
22 November 2013
TITLE: College Athletes Should Be Compensated
SKELETON:
THESIS: College athletes should be paid.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Many college athletes could use the money.
Playing a sport at a Division I college is basically a full time job.
Athletes earn their schools lots of money and prestige.
There are multiple solutions as to how athletes should be paid and where the money
would come from.
PURPOSE: To persuade the general public that student-athletes should be paid.
INTRO:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
How do you feel when your hard work is not acknowledged?
Isn’t it great to be complimented, or even tipped for what you have accomplished?
In the world of collegiate sports, athletes do not receive the respect they deserve for
the long hours that they dedicate to their sport.
Currently, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules that college
athletes are “strict amateurs, which means they cannot accept any kind of
compensation” (“Student-Athlete Compensation” 1).
They are forbidden to receive money or gifts from sports agents or accept
sponsorships.
The NCAA’s policy is injurious on many accounts.
Bottom line, (thesis): college athletes should be paid.
(Preview) Let’s examine why this is so and how we could make it happen.
BODY:
I.
Many college athletes could use the money.
A. Numerous college athletes are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
B. In other words, for many athletes, a scholarship is simply not enough.
1. For the most part, scholarships only pay for tuition and housing if it is a full
scholarship, or, if it’s a partial scholarship, it only covers tuition, books, or
housing.
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2. More often than you think, an athletic scholarship is the only way some
athletes are able to obtain a college education.
a. As Sean Gregory, a reporter for Time magazine, noted in a recent issue,
“for many families [scholarships] are the only way their children can
afford to go to a four-year school” (Gregory 39).
(Internal Transition): Sadly, any additional help for financially strapped student athletes is
against current rules.
C. An article on the database Issues and Controversies exclaims that the multitude of
money-related scandals shows that the NCAA regulations need to be reformed.
1. Critics in the same article feel that “violations will continue to occur if
student-athletes are forced to live in virtual poverty because they are barred by
the NCAA from earning money for expenses outside of what is provided by
scholarships” (“Student-Athlete Compensation” 4).
D. Most scholarships are revocable, which means some people may not be able to
finish college if this unfortunate event occurs.
E. Some athletes are walk-ons and are paying for school without any income or extra
help coming in.
TRANSITION: Not only are college athletes deprived of money, but they are also working a full
time job for no pay.
II.
Playing a sport at a Division I college is basically a full time job.
A. For instance, on a typical day, I wake up at 5:30 AM, leave my dorm at 7:45 AM
and do not return until at least 8:00 PM.
1. During the twelve hours that I am gone, I go to an hour of conditioning, sit
through two to three classes, eat lunch, practice gymnastics for four and a half
hours, eat dinner, and then attend study hall. All of this before returning to the
dorm.
By the time I return to the dorm, I am so exhausted that my teammates and I
go straight to bed.
2. Think about it. A typical day job lasts for about eight hours. Therefore,
student-athletes actually worker LONGER days than most citizens with full
time jobs do, and athletes do it for no pay at all.
3. Analysts observe that schools should acknowledge that student-athletes are
more like employees and should be compensated instead of being exploited
(“Student-Athlete Compensation” 4).
B. Working what would be a second job would burden athletes even further who are
already trying to balance school work with sports.
1. Think about it, how would multiple jobs affect your ability to do well in class?
2. It is unrealistic to expect student-athletes to work part-time jobs.
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TRANSITION: Technically, the work of athletes does not go unrewarded; as we’ve seen, it is
modestly rewarded with some degree of tuition waivers and housing allowances. In contrast, the
school and programs like the NCAA are handsomely rewarded for what athletes accomplish.
III.
College athletes earn their schools lots of money and prestige.
A. Athletes bring in money for their school in many different ways.
1. In Time magazine, Sean Gregory explains that there are multiple examples of
application rates rising after a high profile championship.
a. For example, Butler University saw a 43% increase in undergraduate
applications after the University’s basketball team made it to the Final
Four two years in a row (Gregory 40).
2. Also, after a strong season, veterans come back to campus for reunions and
tribute, keeping the school’s brand and their image as winners alive.
(Internal Transition): A winning team is good for marketing and is a real moneymaker.
3. An article by Tyson Hartnett posted in the Huffington Post describes that if a
school is rewarded for an academic achievement, it will be in the newspaper
for a couple of days. On the flip side, athletics are in the newspaper
throughout the year (1).
4. An article in CQ Researcher says, “The TV networks pay dearly to broadcast
all this, and spectators pay premium prices to attend games” (Worsnop 1).
B. College athletes also make the community money.
1. When people come in town for games, many businesses benefit. Some
businesses include souvenir stores, bars, burger joints, hotels, ticket brokers,
stadium vendors, and parking attendants.
a. For example, a season’s worth of Texas A & M football games generate
$86 million in business in the town where the school is located (Gregory
38).
(Internal Transition): The revenue stream is even more impressive for the school.
C. Colleges receive money for playing in high-profile, postseason bowl games, and
for just appearing in the tournament and doing well.
D. The total revenue for 25 richest college football teams is $1.4 BILLION (Gregory
41).
E. The total revenue for the 25 richest college basketball teams is $440 MILLION
(Gregory 41).
F. What this all really amounts to is that college athletes comprise a lucrative labor
force.
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TRANSITION: Since athletes earn millions for their schools, there is more than enough money
for athletic programs to pay for the schools and athletes alike. Plus, it is the right thing to do.
IV.
There are multiple solutions as to how athletes should be paid and where the money
would come from.
A. The money can be found in many different areas.
1. The NCAA makes millions that can be shared.
a. The NCAA and CBS recently signed a $10.8 BILLION television
agreement over the next 14 years (Hartnett 1).
2. College coaches’ earnings, which Time reports have jumped significantly in
recent years, can be slightly cut.
a. Coaches earn at least $100,000 per year in the major sports with bonuses
from play-off games, championships, or breaking school records.
B. Not every school would participate.
C. Schools could pay athletes whatever they want or salaries could be subject to
regulation.
D. Salary caps could be put into effect like in the NBA and the NFL.
E. Time magazine feels that “Universities should give athletes the right to secure
sponsorships, star in a commercial, or even offer their signatures for money”
(Gregory 41).
1. Since sponsorships do not cost the school anything, it would be fair to not cap
sponsorships.
2. This solution doesn’t even cost the school money, and arguably could
generate even more publicity for the school, by creating high-visibility role
models for children that encourage them to become active and attend
college—something that would benefit society as well!
F. To receive any kind of payments, schools could require the student-athletes to
remain academically eligible..
1. For example, an athlete could be required to maintain a 2.0 GPA and pass at
least 6 hours of credit each semester.
G. There is also a more radical solution, proposed by Gregg Easterbrook and posted
in U.S. News & World Report.
1. Easterbrook found that typically athletes do not receive adequate educations.
As a result, athletes could be paid to do their sport for a college team and earn
the college money for four years.
2. If the athlete is not picked up by a professional team, he would be able to
attend college like a normal student for free for up to four years.
a. This could include retaking classes in which he/she struggled during the
years, or simply retake a course in order to better master the material.
3. This would give student-athletes a true education, something that would be
good for the athlete as well as society.
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CONCLUSION:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
In short, college athletes should be paid for all their hard work and accomplishments.
Many student-athletes struggle when it comes to money or having to pay for
something that is not covered by a scholarship.
They work long hours and make other sacrifices, and their compensation is relatively
small, at best, compared to the revenue and prestige they help generate for their
school .
To compensate the student athlete, money can be reallocated from several areas:
coaches’ earnings, NCAA executive board member salaries, and even the NCAA
itself.
In addition, a system could be devised to allow student athletes to endorse products
and services—which could be a win-win for all involved and benefit society as a
whole by motivating more of our youth to aim higher and get an education.
There is more than enough money to go around, and some of it should go to those
who need it and who work hard to earn it--not to mention--risk injury.
It is time to start paying college athletes what they are worth!
Works Cited
Gregory, Sean. “Athletes are Cheap Labor who Bring in Millions.” Time 16 Sept. 2013: 38. Print.
Hartnett, Tyson. "Why College Athletes Should Be Paid." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
"Opposing Views: Should NCAA Athletes Be Paid?" Arizona Daily Wildcat : Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Sparvero, Emily S., and Stacy Warner. "The Price Of Winning And The Impact On The NCAA
Community." Journal Of Intercollegiate Sport 6.1 (2013): 120-142. SPORTDiscus. Web.
14 Nov. 2013.
"Student-Athlete Compensation." Issues & Controversies On File: Issues & Controversies. Facts On
File News Services, 20 Mar. 1998. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Worsnop, Richard L. "College Sports." CQ Researcher 26 Aug. 1994: 745-68. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.