NCAA - Is It Time For Athletes To See A College Pay-Day?

$1.1 Billion. 

This is the total profit that the NCAA generated in 2019 - 79% of it coming from March Madness TV rights alone ($857.5 million). So, where does this money go? Well, other than salaries for NCAA employees, it's mostly divided up between coaching salaries and university student finance support. The athletes themselves? They never even see a dime. 

As a multi-billion dollar industry, you would think that the NCAA could at least financially recognise the players that make their business so successful. However, as every Division 1 athlete knows, making money under the noses of the NCAA is a surefire way to get you kicked off that scholarship you worked so hard for. However, considering this is one of the most disputed and controversial topics in modern sport, let's weigh up the pros and cons. 

Right now, NCAA players generate no financial income from competing in college basketball. This includes receiving money for playing, funding for training, accepting prize money based on placement, or promoting and endorsing products. In simple terms, if college players make a single cent without the NCAA knowing about it, it's usually bad news. 

But let's imagine for a second that the NCAA CEO wakes up tomorrow and decides to give every Division 1 college basketball player a salary of $20,000 a year. With 4200 players already on athletic scholarships, this would cost the NCAA $84 million. With this, athletes would receive financial recognition for their efforts and can start supporting their families throughout their college years. This would also eliminate the need for students to find additional employment and can instead spend their time training or working towards their degree, which could be of some benefit, considering that only 69% of NCAA athletes graduate college. It would also give an additional incentive for athletes to work toward Division 1 scholarships, which is on its way to becoming a rarity. With potential NBA draft picks choosing to play overseas before returning to the U.S is a serious headache for the NCAA as it potentially has a massive impact on their potential revenue if they can't draw big names to its college courts. A comfy salary on top of all the perks of a full athletic scholarship would certainly get them back on top. It would also benefit those players who aren't destined for an NBA Draft spot as this could take a lot of pressure off their shoulders when paying off their student debt. 

There are of course many other benefits for a paid college athlete, but I think that's enough to get the ball rolling (no pun intended). 

"Mo Money, Mo Problems". I'm guessing this is the main tag line in the NCAA board meeting when discussing this particular topic and there would of course be many negatives of giving an 18-year old a $20,000 salary. 

First off - $84 million is a LOT of money. 

Secondly, due to the massive divide in funding between the top and bottom end of college sports, some programmes could potentially offer high salaries to high school superstars to influence them to join their school. This could result in the creation of college super teams or even bidding wars for players who are yet to show their full potential - and let's be real, I think a couple of NBA superteams is enough for any basketball fan. 

For those players who gain high notoriety in their college career, they may be open to sponsorship deals with big brands. This opens up a whole new can of worms for the NCAA as this could result in a large portion of their revenue being lost immediately. Instead of sponsoring an entire team, brands could sponsor individual college superstars and start a long term contract with them and their transition into the pro scene - leaving the NCAA without a piece of the pie. Sponsorship could also create friction in college programmes and between players. If one particular superstar athlete is sponsored by Nike but their team is sponsored by Adidas, I can't see a situation in which that player would be able to compete? This could potentially hurt their future career and their NBA draft stock. 

Furthermore, in defence of the NCAA, college athletes already receive their fair share of compensation. Alongside world-class training facilities, the players have access to a field of industry-leading professionals including S&C coaches, nutritionist, psychologists and coaches - all of whom are there to push them to their very limit of achievement. The NCAA also provides an unmatched stage on which to showcase their talents both during the regular season and during March Madness which draws in an estimated 19 million views annually. 

However, the real nail in the coffin is the money itself. At 18 years old, I can admit that I wasn't the best at saving my money and could potentially be the undoing of a lot of college athletes early careers. A yearly salary combined with lucrative deals signed with sponsors could result in a massive payout for college athletes and reduce their drive to get their degree and their spot on an NBA team. 

In my opinion, it's a two-sided argument but one that falls on the side of the college athlete. $20,000 a year creates a great base for the majority of student-athletes who will not go on to play basketball professionally and means they can take more away from their college career - outside a piece of paper of course. With the employment of financial advisors along with the great athletic structure that most Division 1 programmes already have, the NCAA could create a worldwide hub for the best athletes in the world to showcase their talent and also offer them a financial safety net if things don't go quite to plan. 

So in conclusion - PAY THE PLAYERS! 

Davidson Wildcats - Sail Whitestone