Show Me The Money: Just Why Do US College Athletes Remain Unpaid Despite League Body Generating Billions?

NCAA’s perspective

The NCAA stated that 90% of their annual revenue generated is channeled towards ‘helping’ student-athletes despite the stars being unpaid. Their point of view is that the money is sent to schools and conferences for sports development projects, coaches’ contracts, research and conference grants.

Yes, some student-athletes get the benefit of a scholarship which takes a huge chunk off their financial burden and aids them in attaining a degree. These scholarships come with other added perks which add up to no small amount. However, is that really enough when their respective conferences are generating the kind of revenue they do?

To close the lid on this, players should be allowed to monetize their personal brands. This could occur in the form of signing endorsement deals or profiting off their livelihoods. As a basic benefit, it would help them earn some extra income as they play and attend school.

Additionally, they would be able to start building their own brand because modern sports today is not only about putting on performances on the pitch but also enhancing brand visibility. This option would bypass the almost impossible solution of having schools pay their athletes. Only 24 athletic programs in the US are self-sufficient so having universities pay their student-athletes would place an even bigger burden on already struggling schools.