College athletes have to balance the full-time job that is NCAA sports with academics and a social life.People slip up every now and then, and it always seems like one college or another is in trouble for violating some kind of NCAA rule regarding athletes and gifts.
I don’t think paying college athletes will end controversies involving athletes and gifts. I do think, however, the players should get paid for the hard work they do for their respective schools.The naysayers argue that it ruins the whole sportsmanship aspect of sports and that the athletes being paid would care more about the cold hard cash rather than school pride.A real athlete has a natural drive to be the best. If someone is playing NCAA sports, especially at a powerhouse school like LSU, I can guarantee you at this point in their career they want to rack up victories.
They haven’t spent their entire lives dedicating themselves to training just to lose on such a big stage. These people are determined to win. They know nothing is sweeter than the adrenaline rush that accompanies a championship. It’s what they’ve lived their whole lives for.
The most alarming statistic: College athletes spend more than 40 hours a week on athletics. On top of that are 15 or so hours of class.
As a current full time college student who also has two jobs, I can’t imagine doing what these guys do. Most college-level jobs allow you to leave your work at work. College athletes have tremendous outside preparations, both physically and mentally, for their games that require discipline and determination.
They have to travel long distances in the middle of the academic calendar. Not sight-seeing vacations either, but rather boring bus rides and hotel room stays.
Opponents of paying college athletes say that college athletes are just going to go pro and make millions anyway.
Truth be told only a very small percentage of college athletes go professional. Of course those that do will probably be set for life after signing their rookie contracts. But the majority of college athletes do not make it to the pro ranks. 
It’s like the same thing as having a student job on campus. Landscape architecture students often land part-time student jobs with LSU’s Landscaping department. Future writers start here at the Reveille. The job gets you ready for your career and also pays.The college athletes that don’t continue professionally should at the very least earn their degrees. I don’t see how a small salary would deprive them of doing that.Even a minimum wage (which in Louisiana is currently at $7.25) would be a step in the right direction. Obviously college athletes won’t make anything near what their professional counterparts do, but something is better than nothing.
The income these athletes bring to the school is gargantuan, from national television exposure to the grand daddy of revenue that is merchandising.It is bullshit that millions and millions are made off of these athletic programs yet the people most directly responsible for the profit, the athletes, don’t make anything.
Think of all the LSU replica jerseys people wear. Keiland Williams didn’t see a dime from all those No. 5 jersey sales.
College athletes also double as recruiters. Not everyone goes to school solely based on academics. You know people come here for a full experience, and for many people football games play a big role in that experience.
It is a debate that won’t end anytime soon. Coaches, especially football and basketball, have very nice salaries. Les Miles is one of the best-paid people in Baton Rouge. Let’s get some of his playmakers on the field some of the cash, too.–
Contact Cory Cox at [email protected]