Universities have long encouraged students to strive to the best of their ability. This includes receiving a higher education for self fulfillment. Over a century has passed since Universities included student athletics as part of their programs. Competition between universities escalated and made way for big business opportunities. Great emphasis was placed on recruiting and developing strong student athletes to represent their university. As these athletes witnessed the revenue from their performances, an important and long debating question was raised, should student athletes get paid? This leads to ask four important questions to understand this debate.
1. How has revenue from NCAA events caused student athletes to seek payment?
2. Why would emphasis on sporting events cause undue stress on the academic missions of universities?
3. How would payment to athletes affect the academic mission of a university?
4. How would a union affect the NCAA?
The following review will provide: information on the history of payment prior to today's university athletics and its possible affects to a university, and an interview with a student athlete who provides information regarding real world situations.
1. How has revenue from NCAA events caused student athletes to seek payment?
The questioned didn't develop quickly; it was the product of tens of centuries old entertainment. Centuries ago, Greek society participated in athletic events such as the ones we have today. These events soon became popular and generated a lot of excitement amongst the spectators and the participants. The competition between the victors and losers soon created both unfathomed issues and results. Victors were soon lavished with incentives such as gifts or things of monetary value. To this day, some think as the Greeks did; wishing to offer incentives to the participants of the NCAA besides a scholarship. This leads us to question how students and others have come to expect payment for their participation in university athletic events.
According to the British museum, combat sports were a big attraction in Ancient Greece. These sports were said to be directly linked to the values and beliefs of their society. The religious ethics of players were directly linked to their ability to win. Valuable prizes could be won in such contest; the victors in such events could win large sums of money, or crowned with wreathes of olive leaves and material gifts. Payments for victors go as far as being shown in myths. Zeus was said to fight against his father, Kronos, and the victor was to be paid by the ruling of the world (scholastic). This article was found in scholastic, which is a magazine designed for children. Early childhood education is teaching students that winners get lavished with gifts. This mentality has given root to many debates about student athletes seeking payment for their participation. Ancient Greek society has idealized the excellence of the players and allowed them to gain external glory (i.e. money or material items).
Participants seeking payment has transpired through the years leading to many debates today. In today's society, students who excelled can get scholarships to reward their abilities to play. These scholarships have become known as a "free ride" to college. Meaning that all expenses are covered to continue to excel at sports, but maintain require an equilibrium between sports and academics. So when did paid tuition and paid room and board become a problem? For former UCLA basketball player Ed O'Bannon and 19 others, it was when the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) was making profit of their names (Business Insider). Formally the NCAA regulations prohibited players from getting anything other than scholarships and the cost of tuition. This ruling was changed by a federal judge stating that the NCAA cannot prohibit payment to players in exchange for their name and images of likenesses.
2. Why would emphasis on sporting events cause undue stress on academic mission?
Through many decades, NCAA events have increased in popularity. It is viewed as a mainstream goal to enter a final round tournament to determine an overall winner. Careful thought and massive planning occurs for all sporting events. Universities coaches are determined to develop a winning team and in turn cause the student to focus on physical performance rather than academic priorities. This leads to question the amount of effort placed on the student athlete to receive a proper education.
The following in an interview of a fellow men's UTEP athlete. This individual decided to keep anonymous. It was conducted on October 30, 2014.
When you joined UTEP's basketball team, did you ever intend to have a professional career?
At first I thought I did but competition out there is fierce. Universities that get more media attention are more likely to produce a professional athlete. We get attention but nowhere near as much compared to UT or UCLA. Now I do not see myself getting a professional career because it would be unlikely.
Have you ever thought about getting paid for what you do?
Yes it occurred to me and some of my team mates after reading an article in The El Paso Times about UTEP trying to produce more revenue at events. The article stated that attendance to athletic events had increased over the past couple of years and they were producing more money. At this point the amount was unknown but I'm sure they will make more money than now. This brought perspective on where all the money was going, we were not getting any of it and we are the ones the produce the crowds. I know that it is unrealistic for us to get paid but I also know that without us, who would be left to represent our school?
How long have you been on the men's UTEP basketball team?
What were your first impressions of getting a free college education through a scholarship?
I signed onto the team in 2011 when I was offered an all tuition paid scholarship to do what I love. At first I thought I was reaping all the benefits that come with a scholarship. Everyone I knew told me I was getting it easy and I would love it. But through the years I know that the situation varies and we aren't told many things.
I get money to include my dorm, books, expenses paid on the trips. But I am responsible to pay for my personal needs, food and luxuries. I do not have the time to get a job so there are days where I do not even have enough money to feed myself.
Has administration or your coaches ever put great emphasis on you becoming a better athlete?
Yes they have, they try and push me and all the guys to hone our skills. But it usually cuts into my study time for all my courses, since I am here on a scholarship. I need to make sure I don't mess up and stay on top of my game. I admit that I've had professors let me slide with some work. I think they do this because they know the amount of money being produced by sporting events. If no money was being made, I don’t think they would let me skip assignments or give me extra credit.
On average, how often do you miss class due to basketball?
Sometimes I miss a couple of days to travel and my professors understand but this puts a strain on me. They usually make me meet with them so I can get my work early, but I feel this is a disadvantage because all the workload I have is compressed and due sooner than I expected or had time to prepare for. When we are getting ready for a game I might have to skip class to practice a little more on my weaknesses or to run drills to make sure our team is on the same level.
Do you feel like you're getting an education with all the class work missed and time you spend away from class?
I feel like I'm teaching myself what I need to know for the class. I feel alone when I'm in class because sometimes I feel like I don't understand some of the material. I don't always have time to meet with my professors on the class work because well I'm usually preparing for a game or traveling. To answer your question, no I don't feel like I am.
After 3 years of being on the team, what do you hope to accomplish now?
I love basketball, and it's gotten me farther than I can hope for. I want to finish my education and begin my career in Psychology. I know that my education should come first, even if at times it is on the back burner. It would be a shame if I fail to become a professional athlete and don’t graduate from college because I was too busy trying to be the best.
3. How would payment to athletes affect the academic mission of a university?
Universities have placed more emphasis on intercollegiate competitions because of the amount of revenue it may produce. This causes students to implement more time focusing on competition rather than focus on their studies. Two revenue generating factors have occurred to understand today's views on student payment. Profit from commercialization and competition. This helps us understand why there has been a need for students to be considered university employees and seek payment.
Student athletics was seen as a distraction from the educational system in the late 1800s. According to Marquette Sports Law Journal, by the 1920's, it grew in popularity due to the possible benefits a school could gain from sponsoring teams. This soon became a formal part of a schools institution. Large universities such as the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Mississippi are schools that have national recognition for their college athletics. They are examples of having contracts for television, radio, and merchandising which generate millions of dollars for their universities. In order to have such opportunities, they must have a winning team. This is most effectively achieved by finding the best talent (Marquette Sports Law). This is where universities tend to compete with each other to gain such royalties. Possible athletes are lured with scholarships and place great emphasis on developing a winning team. This is seen to compromise the universities purpose of an education.
There is so much emphasis on winning, that these student athletes are admitted with relaxed requirements to a university. As a result of the change in focus towards winning, college athletics has become a breeding ground for professional athletes (Marquette Sports Law). These students confuse their priorities of an education with their development to become a better athlete. Knowing only a small percentage of them will become professional athletes.
4. How would a union affect the NCAA?
The NCAA has tried to implement the idea of its events as a nonprofit organization. They have also noted that student athletes are considered amateurs and not considered university employees. Currently, the NCAA handles all aspects of player punishment from investigation to implementation, with no opportunity for athlete appeal to anyone outside of the NCAA (Forbes, 2014). Unions are beneficial to workers by aiding them with better working rights and insurances.
The National College Players Association was created by Ramogi Huma. Huma created the NCPA to help secure basic protections for college athletes. This is the first major step towards unionization within NCAA athletic events.
The NCAA tries to convince us that we have little, if anything, to complain about because we are getting a 'free ride' through college. The NCPA says it will fight for more safety protections such as minimizing the risk of brain trauma, having universities cover medical bills for life for injuries are suffered while playing in college, and eliminate restrictions on outside employment so students can work.(ABCnews).
Though it is very difficult for students to be part of a union because they are not official employees of any university; students are seeking the basic protections offered only through unionizing. Students are aware that they are the driving force behind these events which could lead them to protest. Organizations such as the NCPA are widely known and may lead to a formal upheaval if policies are not reconstructed to suit student athlete’s requests.
The NCAA’s response towards unionization, states that students voluntarily participate and are aware of the limitations implemented by exchanging their athletic abilities for a scholarship.
The union-backed attempt to turn student-athletes not employees undermines the purpose of college: an education. Student-athletes are not employees and their participation in college sports is voluntary. We stand for all student-athletes, not just those unions want to professionalize. Many student athletes are provided scholarships and many other benefits for their participation. There is no employment relationship between the NCAA, its affiliated institutions or student athletes.
The NCAA finds students who wish to unionize are undermining the purpose of the agreement between the NCAA and the student. The NCAA protects itself by stating that all students who are unhappy with their requirements can opt out. Of course this means that the student would give up the scholarship offered to them and would need to seek another way to pay for school.
This may be seen as a double edged sword because students can lose their scholarship by trying to pursue rights they think they are entitled to. Athletes such as the one that I interviewed know they are part of an unfair system. They are given scholarships, but are not offered nearly as much money as the NCAA produces off of sporting events. Student athletes are sacrificing a good education to be part of a team. Their sacrifices could be in vain if they do not become professionals in the end.
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Todd Gurley's Suspension: Just One More Reason Why College Athletes Need A 'Union' (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2014.
Solomon, J. (2013, September 24). NCAA protest: How the NCPA became college football players' leading voice. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
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Origin and History of the Olympic Games | Go for the Gold Student Activity | Scholastic.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2014.
Dahlberg, T. (2014, August 10). Court Ruling On Paying College Athletes Will Fundamentally Change The NCAA. Retrieved November 6, 2014.
