Benefits From College Athletics Except The Athletes example essay topic

College athletics have always been one of American's favorite pastimes. We as Americans love the thrill of hard competition. College athletics have always been at the heart of this competitive rush. They have always been something more pure than professional athletics, more than just the money. In recent years, college athletics have changed for the worse. Players have drifted away from what it used to mean to play college sports.

They have fallen into illegal activities and have left fans disappointed. One of the reasons for this change is the lack of funds for the players. There are many benefits to paying college athletes. In many cases, athletes who go to school on scholarships are treated differently than academic scholarship recipients. The N.C.A.A. should not have jurisdiction over a player's earnings outside his sports participation.

The rules need to be looked at and changed. Even if each and every one of its ruler-to-the-wrist regulations was written for a sound reason, the collective impact is that the NCAA's treatment of the student-athlete has become unnecessarily punitive and hopelessly out-of-date (McCallum, 1996). One of the biggest complaints lately from college basketball fans is that too many athletes are leaving college early to enter the draft. Some athletes are even going directly from high school to the NBA and skipping college altogether. A record number of athletes who were still eligible to play college ball entered the National Basketball Association draft. There are also plans for two new professional leagues for teen-agers, which threaten to diminish the talent pool for college teams (Blum, 1996).

This upsets college fans because they don't get to see the best guys play for their school. The nation's top high-school player, Kobe Bryant, was one of a few high school seniors who declared themselves eligible for the draft (Blum, 1996). Fans like to get to know a team and support it but at the same time, become frustrated because of players leaving. Officials of big-time basketball programs are taking a new look at their sport, arguably the NCAA, the most popular and lucrative, because of worries that it can no longer hang on to or even attract the game's biggest stars (Blum, 1996). The biggest and most obvious reason for basketball players to skip out on college and to enter into the draft is because of the big money.

Many players come from poor families and run down neighborhoods. They want an education but they do not want to miss out on a chance to make insurmountable money. Most of them do not have enough money to pay for things that scholarships will not pay for. The lack of money for the players will many times entice them to fall into illegal activities.

One of the illegal activities they might fall into is gambling. Boston College announced a range of punishments for 21 students who allegedly placed or handled illegal bets on sporting events (Haworth, 1997). Last November the college removed two players from its football team and suspended 11 others from the team, about 14 percent of the roster, after an investigation by the college and the local District Attorney's office revealed that the players had bet on college and professional sporting events (Haworth, 1997). Some of the athletes that were caught gambling, were even betting against there own team. The fact that these players feel they have to bet against their own team, shows their desperation.

Another illegal activity that athletes fall into is accepting gifts from sports agents. This can have a huge effect on the team and on the player's future. The NCAA has demanded that the university of Connecticut return $90,000 that it received after its men's basketball team reached the semifinals of the 1996 championship tournament (Naughton, 1997). Two of the team's players had accepted gifts from a sports agent and were therefore ineligible to compete, according to NCAA regulations (Naughton, 1997). Agents don't care if the athlete gets caught or not. If he gets caught, the athlete is no longer eligible to play in college so his only option is to play professional sports.

This works out nicely for the agent since he can not be paid if the player is in college. This is why agents give athletes gifts. Marcus Cam by, whose dealings with sports agents led to that penalty, said he would make a donation to the university in the same amount he took (Naughton, 1996). Marcus now plays for the N.Y. Knicks (Naughton, 1997). Point shaving has always been one of the biggest problems regarding illegal activity and college athletics. There have been many instances where college basketball players have either been caught or were accused of shaving points.

One of the most recent cases, only last year, occurred when Northwestern basketball players were caught shaving points. Players fall to this illegal activity because they want or are in need of more money. It's easy for needy players to accept a gift or to shave points. The college athletic scene is a huge market. Colleges profit greatly off big-time college sports. They are the ones that the fans come to see and are therefore responsible for bringing money to the college.

The CBS network agreed in 1994 to pay $1.7 billion to broadcast the men's college basketball tournament for the following eight years (Economist, 1996). Not only is this a big money maker for advertising it is big for everyone. Behind the super bowl it is the biggest gambling event. In short, everyone who regulates college sports, will make a tidy buck from the event (Economist, 1996). Everyone, that is, except the athletes (Economist, 1996).

Not only are athletes not profiting in any way for their sport, they are not even allowed to take other jobs. They are not allowed to take jobs in the college library or the local McDonalds (Economist, 1996). If one was to violate the rules, the price is expulsion (Economist, 1996). Some might think that the athlete's method of payment is the scholarship, but this can be taken away in one quick blow. They run for one year at a time; break a leg or gain fifty pounds over the summer, and the scholarship can be revoked, no matter how good the athlete is in class. The college is gambling on who is going to be the best, but in reality the college can not lose.

They give only the top athletes scholarships in hopes that these are going to be the stars and bring them money, but if the college realizes that a player is not worth scholarship money it is taken away. What is a player supposed to do if he isn't allowed to play his sport and his money for school is taken away? If colleges really care about the education of big-sport athletes they should keep the halls open to athletes after the pro dream virtually evaporates (Easterbrook, 1998). For many players their dream is to get a contract to play for a professional team, but few players will end up in a professional league. There are ten times as many first-division college teams as professional ones.

Many players will get neither a degree nor a contract (Economist, 1996). And, since they have been so well protected against commercial exploitation, they will not have made a dollar from their greatest skill (Economist, 1996). Some of the best college players in the nation will have no financial or educational benefits after their years of eligibility are up. They made the college money but they didn't receive a cent and now they have nothing to do with their life. College athletes should benefit what the college is pulling in.

This would eliminate athletic corruption while benefiting the athletes. Though there are some downfalls to playing college sports, a few beneficial programs exist that help athletes in need. Each year for the past five years, the NCAA has distributed $300,000,000 among its 33 division 1 conferences, which has given the money to athletes with special financial needs (Mangan, 1995). This is a great program but there are more needs to be met.

Financial aid does still does not cover the expenses of a college athlete. They should at least be allowed to work to obtain money. Most collegiate athletes don't have much money and because of this many people suffer. The fans suffer because players leave college early to enter the draft. Because most players have little money, there is an increased chance to fall into illegal activities, which will cause athletes and their families to suffer as well. Illegal activities such as point shaving, gambling, and accepting money from agents, are what get college athletes on the wrong track.

Everyone else benefits from college athletics except the athletes. Colleges, gamblers, advertisers, television stations, and coaches are all beneficiaries. The players are the only ones who don't seem to get back what they put into their "jobs". Something should be done in order to make college athletes feel that their time and effort is appreciated and will be compensated for in some way..