Should College Athletes Be Paid? The Case for Fair Compensation
This paper argues that college athletes should be compensated beyond their current scholarships, which represent inadequate payment for the economic value they generate. Drawing on economic research, legal developments, and perspectives on racial equity, the paper examines the distributive justice of NCAA revenue distribution, the significance of California's name, image, and likeness legislation, and the racial dimensions of compensation debates. Counterarguments — including the educational value of athletics and the sacred bond between student and institution — are addressed and found insufficient to outweigh the economic and social justice case for paying college athletes. The paper concludes with a recommendation that compensation be permitted and that stakeholders collaboratively design a fair distribution framework.
- Introduction: Thesis: college athletes deserve equitable compensation
- Why College Athletes Should Be Paid: Economic, legal, and racial equity arguments for pay
- Counterarguments Against Paying Athletes: Educational value and institutional bond objections addressed
- An Alternative Solution: Designing Fair Compensation: Market-based frameworks and NIL legislation as a path forward
- Conclusion: Economic and social justice case for athlete pay summarized
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper takes a clear, consistent position from the outset and supports it with multiple distinct lines of argument: economic, legal, and social justice.
- It demonstrates intellectual honesty by including and engaging with the strongest counterarguments before refuting them, rather than ignoring opposing views.
- The introduction of the racial dimension adds depth and specificity to what could otherwise be a generic economic argument, grounding the claim in real-world social consequences.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper uses the "steelman" technique — presenting counterarguments in their most coherent form before systematically dismantling them. This approach, seen in the Counterarguments section, strengthens the paper's credibility and shows the writer has genuinely considered the opposing position rather than attacking a weakened version of it.
Structure breakdown
The essay follows a classical argumentative structure: an introduction that states the thesis and scope, a body section building the affirmative case with cited evidence, a counterargument section that engages with the opposition, a solution-oriented section that acknowledges implementation challenges while affirming the core position, and a conclusion that synthesizes the economic and social justice arguments. This five-part structure suits an undergraduate persuasive essay well.
Introduction
College athletes from lower socioeconomic backgrounds typically face challenges that negatively affect their educational outcomes. If college athletes were paid, they would be better able to provide financial assistance to their struggling families, which would give them a higher probability of excelling both academically and athletically. There is strong rationale for paying college athletes: colleges earn billions of dollars each year from their athletic programs, and college athletes — along with their sports — are the product that generates this revenue. The present compensation, whether a full or partial scholarship depending on the athlete or the sport, is inadequate given the labor these athletes provide and the economic benefit that labor creates. A more equitable approach to distributing the proceeds of that labor would alleviate many of the challenges college athletes face and advance the cause of distributive justice.
The issue of compensating college athletes has been examined from many angles. Beyond blanket arguments for and against, there is substantial discussion surrounding the question of how compensation should be handled if it is permitted. Some of the issues raised regarding implementation include whether there should be a compensation cap to prevent unfair recruiting practices, and how each athlete's payment should be determined. In professional sports, salaries vary substantially within a team and across different sports. These same complexities would arise in college athletics. But the first and more fundamental question is whether college athletes should be paid at all — and the answer is yes.
This paper breaks down the case for paying college athletes, drawing on arguments made by journalists and subject-matter experts from a variety of perspectives. The arguments against paying college athletes are also examined and engaged with seriously before being refuted. A final recommendation is then offered.
References
Bokat-Lindell, S. (2019). Should college athletes be allowed to get paid? The New York Times.
De Piccioto, E. (2019). Should college athletes get paid? The Perspective.
Gaydos, R. (2019). California governor signs bill allowing college athletes to capitalize on image, name and likeness. Fox News.
Lemmons, M. (2017). College athletes getting paid? Here are some pros and cons. HuffPost.
Sanderson, A. R., & Siegfried, J. J. (2015). The case for paying college athletes. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(1), 115–138.
Yankah, E. (2015). Why N.C.A.A. athletes shouldn't be paid. The New Yorker.
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