Derek Fritz once said, “Sports have a certain romantic side to them, too often we got lost in the jumble of the world around us and forget the real reason why we’re playing the games we love so dearly.” The debate of whether college athletes should be paid has increased dramatically within the past decade. Many argue the reasons for why student-athletes should …show more content…
College athletes, whether they play basketball, soccer, softball, baseball, or run track, and regardless of whether they are male or female, all have the opportunity to receive money while taking part in the privilege of being a student-athlete. In recent news, the Northwest football team recently petitioned to be labeled as employees in order for them to unionize. The argument from the players included that they’re seeking better medical coverage, concussion testing, while including the subject of the possibility of being paid. Although, NCAA chief legal officer Donald Remy expressed, “We frequently hear from student-athletes, across all sports, that they participate to enhance their overall college experience and for the love of the game, not to be paid.” Along with this issue he went on to explain how ridiculous it would be throw away a system that has helped millions of students over the past decade along to attend college. Within this certain system that they …show more content…
While March Madness was in full swing, and the college basketball championship raking in big bucks for the NCAA, former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon thinks that those players should get paid. While the NCAA has 17 official corporate sponsors that have each paid the organization $10 million to $35 million, O’Bannon said the athletes’ compensation doesn’t have to be $1 million but just a “little something” to recognize that they are bringing in money to their school. An example of an athlete fighting for their rights when it comes to this subject was when O’Bannon personally sued the NCAA, Electronic Arts and the Collegiate Licensing Company over the use of his name and image. Lawyers for O’Bannon reached a $40 million settlement with EA and the Collegiate Licensing Comp0any, which handles licensing rates for many universities. However, the case against the NCAA is still working its way through the courts. O’Bannon claimed that the lawsuit was never about the money, it was about righting a wrong. “If a company or someone was to use your likeness then you should be compensated for it, at the very least asked if your likeness can be used”, (CNBC).
Just this last August, a federal judge ruled the association of the NCAA violated antitrust law by prohibiting college athletes from being compensated for use of their names, images and likenesses. The court also