THE HOAX OF AMATEURISM: COLLEGE SPORTS By: Mason Hui.

THE HOAX OF AMATEURISM: COLLEGE SPORTS

By: Mason Hui

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APPLAU

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Overview

The NCAA generates about $6 billion annually through their major revenue generating sports: Basketball & Football.

CBS & Broadcasting stations make roughly $1 billion annually.

NCAA president’s Salary: $1.7 million Coaches salaries: multimillion Student-Athletes themselves make nothing.

Amateurism & “Student Athlete” Dictionary Definition – A person who

engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons.

Walter Byers, first executive director of NCAA crafted the term “student athlete” and made it ambiguous.

Most common reasoning NCAA gives is restriction by scholarship

Scholarships

On average, scholarship money provided is $3200 short of what the student actually needs.

Can only be applied towards tuition, room & board, required books.

If injured and cannot contribute to team, Athletic scholarships may be taken away. NCAA’s catastrophic injury relief insurance

program only applies if medical expenses exceed $90,000.

Injury statistics

75.2% of all injuries occur during contact with another player. Basketball & Football (major revenue generating) both are top contact sports.

Higher injury incidence on artificial surfaces that are not natural grass.

24.6% of all ankle sprains in collegiate sports come from football alone.

Smaller injuries are very common.

College athletes viewed as employees of a corporation.

In addition to injury risks, student athletes dedicate a considerable amount of time to their sport.

The typical college football player requires 40-50 hours of work per week. (Weight training, practice, etc).

Full time positions?

Northwestern Football Union

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that Northwestern football players are technically considered employees of the university and have the right to be represented by a union.

First in college sports to seek union representation.

Fought for a wide range of benefits. (Health care, larger scholarship funds, etc.)

Ed O’Bannon

UCLA basketball player saw an avatar of himself in an EA sports video game which sparked controversy over licensing rights.

Filed lawsuit against NCAA for using his name, image, and likeness in the video game without his consent.

NCAA argued that he signed away his rights when he agreed to participate in collegiate sports

Final verdict reached on August 8, 2014 Universities have to provide athletes with some form of

money that they bring in from licensing their image. Points towards future with weaker NCAA. Empowers student athletes

Conclusions

“Amateurism” is a hoax put forth by the NCAA in order to reap the monetary benefits generated by its student athletes. They work the same hours as there are in

the traditional work week but do not receive significant compensation.

The risks they must endure on a game-to-game basis can be detrimental in terms of physical injuries.

Student Athletes should be paid in either 1 of 2 ways…

Cont..

1.) Viewed as employees and be paid straight up for their work. (would eliminate factors such as licensing)

2.) Provide student-athletes with real scholarships that are sufficient enough to help the student through all financial funds, even in the case of severe/career ending injuries.

Before & After

In the beginning, the reasoning that college athletes are paid already in the form of their free education through scholarships seemed somewhat justifiable for me.

Now, factoring in all the evidence and facts, the role of the college athlete has many more risks than rewards. Only small % end up going professional. No significant immediate value.

A New System

A new system of paying student-athletes would impact the culture of college sports as we know it.

The branding of intercollegiate athletics would change.