Should Amateur Athletes Receive Benefits?
(Article may be slighly outdated. Written before the NCCA paused NIL rules in May 2021)
Over the past 100 years, college sports have rocked the United States. From football, basketball, baseball, and more, college sports have entertained Americans endlessly. In 2019, about 200 million American people (2/3 of the United States population) viewed sports, and out of those 200 million, 173 million have viewed college games (that’s about ½ of the American population), so it is safe to say that Americans love both professional and college sports. Although college and professional sports are heavily viewed and idolized, there is a big difference between the two: professionals get paid and have several sources of income, and amateurs have zero sources of income. Why? Simply because the NCCA states that any athlete that receives any payments or endorsements will lose their scholarship and eligibility immediately. Although students are usually awarded scholarships (D2 schools cannot give as many, or as large, scholarships as D1, and D3 schools cannot give any), with an athletic profession on their mind, student athletes will lose interest and do anything to get to the next level.
In several instances, college is becoming more of a roadblock to athletes rather than a steppingstone to the next level. With more semi-pro leagues and minor sports leagues developing, upcoming athletes are starting to survey their options. In 2020, top college prospect Jalen Green, was the first elite player to take his talents into the new NBA G-League transfer path.
10 August 2019, Jalen Green playing for EYBL Elite
(Image Courtesy of Getty Images)
Instead of going on to play college sports, Green took the unprecedented decision to go into the minor leagues working towards being in the NBA, while also getting the best training, attention of the media, and half a million dollars. After competing at a high level and constantly getting better, Jalen Green is now projected to be the number one pick in the 2021 NBA draft over the best of the best including 2021 NCCA champion and tournament MVP Jared Butler. As time goes on and little change in the NCCA happens, players are continuing to realize that they can achieve their goals in different ways rather than playing college sports, and it is working. Another elite athlete, Simone Biles lost her scholarship in 2015 and became a professional. Biles went on to win gold in the 2016 Olympics and is now known as one of the greatest gymnasts alive. Elite athletes are learning that if they stay in college, there is a chance that they won’t achieve their lifetime goal of going pro, and instead of waiting it out and risking the possibility of getting hurt, losing their scholarship, or losing their ability to compete, they are going ahead and taking the risk of going professional now. If changes aren’t made soon, the future of college sports may be in danger. If student athletes don’t get the attention they have been asking for years, the future professional athletes will move on to something more.
Another thing that people often forget is that athletes are still normal people, not just robots in a program to entertain millions of people, they still have feelings, needs, and wants. Not everyone has a stable life whether that be mentally, financially, emotionally, or even physically, and need extra help.
In 2018, a study by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that 44% of full-time college students have jobs and 81% of part-time students, have jobs.
An athletic scholarship doesn’t cover any outside training, therapy, housing, food, or any other non-college expenses that students have, and as stated before, a lot of scholarships aren’t full rides and may not even cover all tuition. Although a large portion of students have jobs and work outside of school, whether part-time or full-time students, student athletes can’t afford to work, whether they need to or not. By being able to receive outside help, athletes will be able to take care of their lives without losing focus of both their school and their sport. The NCCA states that students aren’t able to receive any help from third parties, whether that be products, services, or payments. I’m not asking schools to do any more than they already are, because I believe that they work hard enough, but I am asking that people need to be empathetic and understand that nobody can get through adversity alone. A little help can go a long way, and it isn’t fair for the NCCA to state that student athletes shouldn’t be able to receive outside any sort of outside assistance.
One of the biggest issues with athletes playing college sports is that college isn’t easy and can be tough to handle. College is meant to set people up for success and equip them with the right information and training for their future occupation; individuals don’t go to college just to have fun and enjoy sports, but instead to come out of those endeavors with a career. For example, if one wants to become an entrepreneur, then they will attend business school, but this isn’t the same for athletes. Instead of focusing on becoming an athlete solely, students must work on another degree while also training endlessly.
Students need to have time to relax, otherwise they will easily become burned out. Having too much on one’s plate can cause stress, anxiety, worry, and depressive effects.
People don’t even have to be elite athletes to be overloaded, anyone knows that with an extremely full schedule and little time to stop and smell the roses, it is easy to get burned-out. When people become burned out, overwhelmed, and stressed, something falls through (injuries, grades, underperformance), and student athletes have no room for any sort of failure. With this being stated, athletes should have a career path to solely focus on their athletic career and still be able to juggle the rest of their lives. With the ability to work towards their athletic futures in a stable environment and receive some help from outsiders (whether that be sponsors, agents, endorsements, competitions, etc.) I believe student athletes will be able to succeed the most.
In conclusion, if changes aren’t made, college sports are going to decline. College students are finally out of the house, on their own, and responsible for themselves, so why is it being made harder than it is meant to be? Going into college is a big step for a person, not to mention all of the responsibility that comes with just being an adult. It is tough for anyone to go from having little responsibilities in high school (that seem like a lot), to having multiple responsibilities, with no room for error. How are student athletes expected to perform at the highest level they possibly can while also juggling classes and their own lives and adversity without having any help? Just as the transition from high school to college to independence is a learning process and full of trial and error and growth, the process from amateur to professional should be as well. Young and aspiring athletes are only held back by the NCCA rules against receiving outside help, with little restriction against it, athletes will be able to transition into their professional careers while learning as a college student and furthering their career.
