$912 Million. That’s the amount of money the NCAA makes off of college athletics per year. How much of that goes to the athletes actually competing? Exactly $0.00. It seems a bit ridiculous that someone who generates revenue for a company is not adequately compensated for their services. The debate of whether or not athletes should be compensated has been going on for many years, and has been picking up more steam recently with current and former athletes beginning to complain about the alleged corruption instilled within the NCAA.

Those who oppose NCAA athletes getting paid claim that these athletes are being graciously compensated with their academic scholarship, and that monetary compensation is illegitimate at an amateur sports level. From professional coaching, free housing, and free professional development to access to top of the line training facilities, why exactly do the athletes have to be paid monetarily when they are receiving so many benefits? Is it not enough that these athletes are receiving personal services that the average college student would have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for? Langley varsity Baseball Coach Michael Piotrowski took a moderate stance on the issue, stating that he believes “they shouldn’t get paid in terms of a direct salary,” but rather they should “receive some sort of stipend for living and other expenses.” However, the question still lingers: are colleges rewarding their athletes enough?

To keep it short and simple, the answer is no. No—the benefits the athletes receive are not enough for what they do for the college. At the end of the day, it comes down to basic employment principles. If an employee works long hours serving their company, does it seem reasonable that they won’t be paid for their services?  Looking at it step-by-step, it is obvious that an athlete at the college level is entitled to monetary compensation. Around the country, there are millions of college sports fans who buy tickets and merchandise for these college sports teams. Simply put, without athletes, there can’t be sports or sport fans. Langley senior Taylor Hosley expressed his opinion on the issue saying, “Colleges need to appreciate the work put in by their athletes, and the best way to do that is by paying them.” Colleges are sitting back and watching their students put in long, tiring hours of work only to see the money attained from their services go straight to the university. Senior Alex Beckett spoke on the issue saying, “College sports make an absurd amount of money, and the people who generate the money do not receive the profits.”  Ultimately, student athletes are being robbed of their hard-earned money and are simply being taken advantage of by their colleges.