College Athlete Pay

The question of payment for college athletes may seem trivial at first glance, when one considers the variety of other, seemingly more pressing issues facing universities today, but upon closer examination it becomes clear that the question of whether or not college athletes should be payed for playing actually cuts to the heart of budget crises plaguing so many American universities. For example, according to Forbes magazine, in 2011 the University of Texas Longhorns football team brought in $129 million dollars for the school, a not insubstantial amount considering that so many universities are being forced to reduce their budgets (Smith, 2011). However, this emphasis on the return has led to troubling practices, including improper benefits and exploitative contracts. Paying student athletes would likely reduce some of these back-door deals and exploitative practices, but formally turning these students into employees runs the risk of transforming sports programs...
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