Here is a question that one of you came up with about your topics: People usually argue either: a) that college athletes should be paid because of the amount of money that they bring into their universities or b) that college athletes are already being paid in the form of a scholarship and if they want to be paid for playing their respective sports, they should enter professional athletic leagues.
What is the status of college athletes today and what should it be. What should the primary goal of the university be?
Jeremy Fleishman:
First, what potential positive is there for paying college atheletes?
Jessica Marcoux:
Athletes will get their paychecks when they graduate with a degree and get a job.
Judd Gilbert:
Christ on a bicycle! Is it the duty of universities to serve the sports world? I think not.
Nathan Zumwalt:
Personally, I don't think that college atheletes should get paid in any way; scholarships or otherwise. The goal of the university is to be educated. Most of the time athletics seems to get in the way of that, and paying atheletes to play a sport instead of get an education is a step in the wrong direction.
Chris Radebaugh:
the status of college sports should be secondary to the educational aspects of a university environment. They get scholarships. They get benifits. I do not want to watch another sport that corrupts players with money at a young age. NBA.
Daniel Anderson:
I think that no coaches should make more than professors. Our priorities are all skewed in college. There is no need for athletics, other than to support the big business world of professional sports. Colleges have become the "farm teams" for the big bucks world of sport and it is hurting education.
Portia Rosiere:
They should not be paid because an education is far more valuable than a couple of bucks. Also, can you imagine our college tuition if we had to pay athletes!
Jessica Marcoux:
I wish someone would pay me.
Shannon Miller:
I do not feel that college athletes should get payed. If universities payed athlets how would they justify not paying, for example, band members. They both put in lots of time and are important to the university.
Daniel Anderson:
Nathan, why do you think that athletic scholarships are given out? What if scholarships were based entirely on academics?
Ellen Lin:
I don't think college athletes should ge paid. It will impose wrong ideas to youngesters who's goals are probably to play sports and not to get educations.
Judd Gilbert:
Looks like everyone agrees on this one. Anyone? Anyone?
Jeremy Fleishman:
I don't think they should be paid, if thats what you mean..
Danae Dietiker:
College athletes are being paid through scholarships. Tuition is expensive and so is housing. Most athletes get these things on scholarships. That is plenty of payment. They are also getting the opportunity to get an education.
Daniel Anderson:
Jeremy, again, I think the idea of paying only reveals a wierd situation that already exitst. We are paying already and we don't even know it.
Nathan Zumwalt:
Dan, I don't want to get into Affirmative Action, but on the whole, what is wrong with scholarships and other benifits being based on acedemics?
Shannon Miller:
I totally agree with Nathan that it is a step in the wrong direction to pay atheletes.
Maria Olin:
The primary goal of the university should be to provide excellence in education and research to further the search for truth. Athletics are a wonderful spirit-building activity, but should never be considered the primary purpose of the university. In my opinion, college athletes should not be paid. Scholarships and such give them a great opportunity to learn while they play a sport they enjoy. That's plenty. They also receive the chance to get better at their sport and have exposure to recruiters for professional leagues. The fact that athletes bring a lot of money to the university just doesn't justify paying them. All the better, more money for learning for everyone.
Chris Radebaugh:
I agree that sports are hurting universities. The problem lies with us...watching the games, reding the reports and loving the rivalries that are created in these events. The money, yes I said it, is too great to turn down--from a univeristy standpoint.
Amy Dickson:
the primary goal of a university should be to get an education. if they get their education for free that is enough. actually i think it is unfair that they should pick what sports should get funding and which shouldn't. being a college athelete takes up tons of time and it is unfair to the sports that don't bring in the same revenue. the funded atheletes get all sorts of perks like all of the tests and tutors they have on hand, what about the atheletes that spend as much time and effort training as the funded atheletes and don't get any of the perks - aren't they representing the school too.
Mandy Fuerst:
Should minor leagues be developed for the NBA and NFL as there are in major league baseball so that the young athlete who is not quite ready for the pros, yet feels he/she has no real need to go to college other than for a place to develop, has a place to go?
Jeremy Fleishman:
I realize we are paying atheletes.....if you've ever spent any time around football players, you know they get A WHOLE LOT of extra priveleges, and free tuition...if that's not payment, i dunno what is. What i don't understand is why we should pay them some more....
Daniel Anderson:
Nathan, nothing. In fact, I'd love to be recruited because I can write and have my housing and tuition payed as long as I kept the pages flowing.
Portia Rosiere:
I don't feel that sports should be a part of college. It is unfair to students, and athletes. About the only way to get into the NFL is to play college ball. I think this is unfair because some athletes are not cut out for college but they are great athletes just the same. Athletics and academics are completely seperate. To some athletes, making them go to college is like taking a med student and telling them they can't go to med school unless they can run a 5 minute mile.
Jessica Marcoux:
If atheletes are being paid there would be even more incentive for them to improve on their sport to keep the cash flow, rather than dedicating more time to studying.
Kai-Yu Han:
I think the university does not need to pay the athletes. Even though they did bring into the university money, the university already pay the the scholarship and the fee they need for travaling(tickets, living, etc). Also, the athletes won't win everytime. If in one season that they didn't do well, this won't bring too much money to university.
If the school pay them to play, it will become a job. Then the university won't need to pay the scholarship since they already paid you. So it's the same thing for paying to play or pay for scholarship.
Ellen Lin:
I like Mandy's idea.
Daniel Anderson:
The argument to pay athletes does make some sense if you think of it in terms of the situation as it exists and Mandy's idea to develop a minor league. Colleges are the minor league, so lets let them support themselves professionally. We already charge big buck for college sports, pay coaches a ton of money and run the "business" Why not legitimize that by separating it, so that the rest of education can go on?
Amy Dickson:
competing in any event anywhere takes lots of money. if there was no funding for travel there would be no team.
Mandy Fuerst:
Just to play devil's advocate for a moment...what about the fact that college athletics, mostly football, of course, brings in an enormous amount of money to the university each year, some of which is distributed to improve aspects of the general university, not just the athletic department. If a player's work on the field is resulting in bringing in millions of dollars, which the average student in the classroom does not, shouldn't they "get a piece of the pie"?
Nathan Zumwalt:
I think that everybody agrees that we shouldn't pay athletes more money than they already get (tuition, perks, etc.), does anybody agree that we should be giving them any special treatment at all?
Jessica Marcoux:
Isn't paying atheletes against the law?
Chris Radebaugh:
What about the money that is brought in by a certain athlete/program and its positive affects on the university? What about the considerable amount of players who aid in this revenue generation that are not on scholorship?
Ellen Williams:
The status of college athletes is one of privilage. Not all athletes are recognized and adored by fellow students, but they do not seem to be suffer from lack of fans. I think that having your housing, food, and education paid for is most definitely a form of payment and if athletes think they deserve a more direct paycheck, they should enter the pro leagues. I realize that athletes put a lot of time and work into their sports but I believe they are being more than justly compensated.
Daniel Anderson:
Portia, what kind of arguments can you think of that suggest that sports should be a part of college. Doesn't OU weekend give UT students an important rallying point that we should preserve as part of our college experience?
Nathan Zumwalt:
Mandy, after looking at how much money they sunk into Memorial Stadium over that last two years, and student fees going up, I seriously doubt that much of the money the football team made acutally filtered down to me.
Chris Radebaugh:
Jessica,
Yes its an NCAA violation. just checkout A&M's football status. They were under regulation for a series of violations and now they are feeling the effects of a poor recruiting class....
Amy Dickson:
you cannot expect to exploit an athelete and not give them an eduacation in return. if they get injured, them they will have something to fall back on. i don't think that forming other leagues and skipin g college is any solution.
Jeremy Fleishman:
No mandy, that's the whole thing that separates college from Pro, Pro's get paid. Have you ever watched a pro game and compared it with a college one? (football here) i can't stand to watch pro football, because the seats are too expensive, the players get paid either way (why should they care) when they should be playing for the love of the game.....
Shannon Miller:
Atheletes do already get payed by extra priveleges. Why should they get more? It is their choice to play. Although the University benefits, it is not the job of the University to pay athelets. Chris points out that extra money is brought in by athelets, but if it is their choice to play the sport, I don't see why they should mind. Nobody is forcing anyone to play a sport.
Daniel Anderson:
Amy, good point about the obligation to educate college athletes. Does anyone have any figures on the graduation rates for different athletic programs? I know for some they are quite low.
Kai-Yu Han:
I agree with Nathan that the goal of the university is to be educated. I know some of the school give the scholarship to the atheletes so they will come to school and win the game for the school. Even though it will rise the school's fame, at the same time, the academic rate might drop. If I am not wrong, the atheletes only need a C average to stay in the team. I think a good atheletes should be good at both sports and school works.
Judd Gilbert:
Amy, it sounds as if you think we should encourage people to become pro athletes. I don't think that is wise, since very few actually do go on past college.
Jessica Marcoux:
Dan, you suggested to Portia that OU weekend was an important part of our college experience. I haven't been to a football game, nor have I had an exceptionally good college experience. Does that mean that I should go to football games to leave college with a good experience?
Jeremy Fleishman:
Really?...i don't know about the graduation rates, but i KNOW athelets get special classes, advisors, help woth whatever they need to pass the classes to stay on the team....atheletes get every privelege i can think of..
Chris Radebaugh:
I think that forming minor leauge ball is great. Just like baseball, send the athlets who have no desire to obtain an education there....and see if there physical skills are enough to carry them through life.
Daniel Anderson:
Jeremy, good point about the reasons for playing. How do those overlap with the reasons for being in college? I think that we are implicated in a larger moment in which professional sports have a status and role which permeates our society. If Shaq sells cereal simply because he can play basketball quite well, then it seems likely that this kind of influence will also be a part of college life...as it is part of every aspect of our culture.
Portia Rosiere:
Dan, I will admit that I love college sports, and I don't miss any of the games, but I feel that this is unfair to the athletes. Yes, sports is part of the experience and it gives students a strong school spirit, but such a small percentage of students here at the university even participate. I think maybe we should still have college teams by name, but they would be seperate from the university. So, UT would still have the longhorns who would be based in Austin, but the would preform more like a minor league team.
Nathan Zumwalt:
I think that we are doing a disservice to the athletes as students for giving them so many perks, and making it easier for them to pass (so they can play). What does that tell them when they get out. That they can do anything they want as long as they play well on Sunday. Maybe that's why players have so much trouble when they get into the Pros. What about the athletes who don't make the pros. They have a college degree, but in what, and have they really be educated?
Jessica Marcoux:
Chris, I thought something was off with paying atheletes. If it is an NCAA violation, then where is the controversy? They can't do it anyway. Besides, we don't want to pull an A&M now do we?
Chris Radebaugh:
Jessica:
yes
Amy Dickson:
in cycling there is no real big push for people to choose to go to college or continue their education. they are too young to know what is really important such as eduacation. it is really sad to see how many people think they can make a living bike racing.
Mandy Fuerst:
Do we need to "pay back" college athletes in some way other than scholarships? Gifted musicians, excellent students, etc. also receive full rides, yet do not bring the national recognition or the money into the universities like athletes do.
Portia Rosiere:
Amy, if they get injured, why can't they go to school then. I am working my way through college, I don't know why they couldn't if it fell in on them.
Daniel Anderson:
Portia, I see some advantages of your desire to clearly separate the realms of sport and education. I've heard that the percentage of people who actually make a living from professional sports is miniscule compared to those who make a living from an education. If these differences were more clearly put forth it might motivate a lot of people to look more carefully at education as something which is separate but perhaps more valuable.
Amy Dickson:
imagine working out 20 hours a week, i think you'd be a little more tired than if you played the violin.
Mandy Fuerst:
Jessica-the controversy is that some NCAA officials and other bigwigs have started giving some thought to changing the regulations and allowing athletes to receive compensation.
Judd Gilbert:
Mandy- we do! Excellent students are rewarded. I have friends that are getting paid to go to grad school, and that is very common.
Nathan Zumwalt:
Mandy, how many musicians get full rides as compared to the number of athletes?
Chris Radebaugh:
I don't understand you. "off with paying athletes"? the controversy was about four years ago when A&M was sanctioned from playing any televised football (bowls?) events. That killed revenue generation and subsequently, recruitment (sp?).
Daniel Anderson:
Amy, exactly, there is a large perception that sports are the answer, when they should be looked at more realistically. Not everyone can be in the 10000th skill percentile for every field, but if you get an education, you can work and pursue those areas that interest you.
Jessica Marcoux:
Mandy, I guess I need to start reading the sports page.
Daniel Anderson:
Mandy, thanks for the clarification. If the NCAA is even considering the possiblity, then there must be something to it. I think that money is a big issue in college sports and in universities as a whole, so to pretend that it isn't won't solve any of the recruiting violations which are sympomatic of larger priorities.
Jeremy Fleishman:
As for people playing college sports...who knows what their reasons are. True, a very very small percentage actually make it to the pros....maybe they're just along for the free ride
Maria Olin:
I'm not so sure that athletics should be separated from the university entirely. Athletics provides a great way to relax, exercise, be part of a team, and socialize. I'm no athlete over here, but I do recognize the good side to it. What is bad is that it has gained too much importance, especially in the minds of university leaders.
John Yao:
I think that the priorities of a university would be totally screwed up if athletes are paid more than what they are already receiving now. Who is going to pay for all this? The other students of course who are already paying for a outrageously inflated tuition every year. The scholarships should be more than enough to cover whatever college expenses that these athletes have, and the whole idea of going to college is to get a education. If the athletes are looking for monetary income, there is the professional sports that they can go to. Educational institutions would suffer from a lack of good students.
Shannon Miller:
O.K. I agree that sports can bring a lot of fame to a school, but should that be the purpose of the school? It probally would not hurt to pay the athelets either. I mean, they would still have to continue to go to school and keep their grades up. I think the biggest controversy is in justifying why it would be fair to pay athelets and not other activities ie) the band, actors, ect.
Mandy Fuerst:
Actually, Nathan, while the percentage of musicians who receive a free ride is lower than the percentage of athletes, musicians are treated much the same...recruited, travel with ensembles, etc. These musicians are receiving scholarships to be here and have their expenses paid for as athletes do .
Jessica Marcoux:
Chris, are you talking to me? I'm not an educated sports buff. If I sound ignorant on the subject, it's because I am.
Ellen Williams:
I think Kai-Yu raised a good point. UT is supposed to be known for its academic excellence and yet it gives privilages to students who are allowed to be less than outstanding.
