The title "Student Athlete" refers to individuals who participate in an NCAA sport while attending a university full time. The lives of student athletes revolve equally around both the classroom and the sport of the athlete. Successful student athletes are known to be the pride and joy of their universities, and often represent the traditions and values that the colleges stands for. Acting as leaders on and off of the field, student athletes spend a great amount of time and effort committing themselves to not only better their sports, but their academics as well. Student athletes are held to high standards due to their magnified presence and reputation in the media and sports culture. Their skills as athletes contribute to the overall marketability of a college, and pull in millions of dollars in game revenue every season. For reasons like this, I believe that college athletes should be paid for their role as athletes. .
Athletes spend an incredible amount of time improving their skills so that they can perform to the best of their ability. When athletes are performing at their highest potential, colleges make the greatest revenue off of them. Not only do athletes have to deal with an immense amount of pressure from their athletic responsibilities, but they also have to balance a full course load of college level classes (NCAA.org). Many college students struggle with passing their classes, and they aren't even dealing with the dual roles and responsibilities that student athletes do! Between their classes and athletic duties, student athletes do not have time to work on top of playing an NCAA sport. Many college athletes come from low income families, and are only in college thanks in part to their athletic scholarships. Because a student athlete cannot work, they rely on their families financially for support. This can be incredibly difficult for families who are struggling to make ends meet as it.
