What is the definition of a professional? The Merriam Webster Dictionary states, “A professional is someone who is characterized by participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs.” The difference between collegiate athletes and professionals is that one group is not allowed to receive only payment or endorsement deals from brands in exchange for athletics. Student-athletes should be permitted to receive payment and be allowed to accept endorsement deals from brands because being a collegiate athlete is a full-time job, and they are also a source of considerable revenue for universities and the NCAA.
Becoming a collegiate athlete is a full-time job, which leaves little time for other extracurricular activities. A study conducted by the NCAA GOALS and SCORE states that on average, college athletes at a Division I school devote about 37.3 hours a week on their studies and 35.4 hours a week on their sport (Hurst 1). A reason often used to contradict the payment of student-athletes is that they receive a scholarship to attend that university. However, only eighty-five scholarships are given per year to a quintessential Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College for their football program and the average number of players on a team is about 118 (Borne 1). This leaves about just under thirty percent of the team having to pay for full tuition with an insufficient amount of time to acquire even a part-time job. Another justification that supports the payment of collegiate athletes is that they generate a significant amount of revenue for the universities they attend and the NCAA.
Universities and the NCAA use collegiate athletes to promote their various up-and-coming games as well as numerous advertising campaigns. Colleges also advertise student-athletes on billboards or in advertising campaigns without compensation, unlike typical campaign partners (Hurst 1). The Bayh-Doyle Act of 1980 states that student inventors must be given a portion of the royalties from their invention (Gilleran 1). In principle, it is just to say, that the academic mission of colleges would not be compromised by approving the payment of athletes for their effort, just as the mission was uncompromised by the reimbursement of student inventors. Fortunately, the NCAA Board of Governors has unanimously decided to allow the restoration of equity in collegiate athletics in 2023 (Johnsey 1).
Although some collegiate athletes obtain scholarships, the value pales in comparison to what they could earn on the open market. In 2017 alone, the NCAA generated a revenue of $1.1 billion due to college sporting events (Reyes 1). For example, March Madness generates about $900 million, which makes up ninety percent of the NCAA’s annual revenue (CUNY 1). However, the athletes who mentally and physically producing this money received no compensation for their toil and labor.
Universities and the NCAA profit off of the accomplishments and the arduous hours that collegiate athletes have to work without reimbursement. If a professional is characterized as “someone who participates for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs,” then student-athletes fulfill the definition. Student-athletes should be sanctioned to receive compensation and be allowed to accept endorsement deals from brands because they make a significant amount of profit for universities and the NCAA.
