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

Media and circumstance dictate athletes’ decision

Iverson and Lebron did not pass through the NCAA program

The successful careers of Allen Iverson and LeBron James were launched on the backdrop of media exposure. While still studying, they were able to capitalize on the attention which paved way for the global sports icons they then became.

One could easily argue that these two were destined for the big leagues and would have bypassed college anyway, but there are a number of athletes who try to make it in the big leagues too soon, as they see it as the only way to break the poverty cycle.

A lot of these athletes come from poor backgrounds and giving up the kind of money they believe they can make in the big leagues is too much to ignore. Many do not see the benefits of attending college and getting a degree as they are just thinking of their livelihood. Can you blame them? Therefore, one solution for keeping some of these athletes in school is allowing them to monetize their brands.

An all-inclusive endorsement structure should be created solely to cater for the student-athletes. This structure should be geared towards:

• Protecting the student-athletes from exploitation by the various sponsors and companies who they endorse.
• Allow the student-athletes to create their own brand which they can ultimately monetize.
• Give provision for the student-athletes’ creative freedom to increase their visibility and income for instance through the selling of merchandise and other promotional content.