Jourdan Austin

Ela 111
christopher wyman
11\30\15
synthesis paper
There are definite advantages to being a student athlete. However, there are numerous sacrifices
and pressures that also come with the territory. The universities and colleges already have many
conditions for the athlete to comply with and graduation should not be one of them.
If college athletes are allowed to go pro early it provides them with a lot of chances with
money because the players with the ability to make it to the pro usually get paid. On the hand,
universities and colleges spend a lot of money and time recruiting student-athletes to attend their
university or college. Student-athletes are weeded out and specifically chosen for their program
to fill the needs of their schools. Therefore, a student should stay committed to the university or
college that took the time to choose them to attend their school from students all over the
country, this should be a honor to attend the school. So, the student-athlete should honor their
commitment to the school that choose them and they choose as well.
The label of student-athlete says it all. A college student who is also an athlete is asked to
live two roles and be two people in one. No other college students are identified in this
hyphenated way; no others are pulled in two completely different directions. No other students
are asked to be one person for half the day and someone else the other half. The day- to- day
routine for a student athlete is restricted and the college experience is limited. This occurs for
athletes on scholarships because coaches arrange many aspects of their lives such as meals,
housing, and academics. Student athletes are expected to be committed to the program in which

they are participating, demanding much of the athletes time and dedication. Unfortunately,
student athletes could be considered to have a full- time job but the schools do not always show a
commitment to the athlete.
Student athletes graduate at a higher rate than the general student body. The option of
leaving college early to pursue a professional career is not a possibility for many. The colleges
and universities dont provide a long- term commitment to the student athlete. The scholarship is
evaluated year to year. The one year scholarship makes athletes vulnerable to dismissal if they
do not perform at levels satisfactory to their coaches. There is no severance if an athlete is let go
after one or two years due to coach- controlled decisions, such as over signing, or if an athlete
suffers an injury and cannot perform.
When you dream about playing in college you dont ever think about being in a
lawsuit, said Joseph Agnew. A former student at Rice University in Houston, Agnew was cut
from the football team and his scholarship revoked before his senior year, meaning that he faced
at least $35,000 in tuition and other expenses if he wanted to complete his degree in sociology.
In October 2010, Agnew filed a class-action antitrust suit over the cancellation of his scholarship
and to remove the cap on the total number of scholarships that can be awarded by NCAA
schools. The NCAA rule, that was established in 1973, prohibited colleges and universities from
offering any athletic scholarship longer than a one-year commitment. In response to his lawsuit,
the NCAA contended that an athletic scholarship was a merit award that should be reviewed
annually, because the degree of merit could change. The one-year rule effectively allows
colleges to cut underperforming student athletes, just as pro sports teams cut their players. For
student athletes to be held to the terms and conditions of a one year scholarship that have been

set by the very authorities who financially benefit is more than enough commitment given to the
school.
The reality is that just a chosen few actually have the option to leave early in pursuit of a
professional career. Leaving school for a professional sport allows great athletes the opportunity
to earn a living and provide for their families. One of the main factors for the college athlete
choosing to leave early is the risk of injury. Many athletes feel that if they stay in college they
could get injured and put their professional career at risk. Going professional would link the
athlete to financial security and after a few years as a professional they could obtain a degree
from any college they want too.
Staying in college and obtaining a degree is what most student athletes choose. A college
degree offers security in the future of the athlete. For those who are elite in their sport, receiving
a degree before going pro can provide a brighter future. The choice of obtaining a degree
utilizing scholarship funding should be the student-athletes choice not a condition of the
scholarship.
The United States is the only country in the world that hosts big-time sport institutions of
higher learning. Big-time college sports are fully commercialized. Billions of dollars flow
through them each year. The NCAA makes money, and enables universities and corporations to
make money, from the unpaid labor of young athletes. (1) Student athletes work hard. Nonathletes may struggle to pay for college tuition but student athletes work a full time job on the
court or field to pay for college tuition. Student athletes must abide by special rules established
for them. They give up their free time with friends, miss out on school breaks, and even miss
class due to athletic schedules.

Last year, CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting paid $771 million to the NCAA for
television rights to the 2011 mens basketball tournament alone. Thats three-quarters of a billion
dollars built on the backs of amateurs on unpaid labor. (2) The student athlete has become a
profit center for the NCAA and if they graduate or not the time given as a student athlete is
payment enough to the school.
In the high revenue sports such as basketball and football, the top coachs annual
contracts exceed $ 4 million, to include bonuses, endorsements, country club memberships, and
in some cases a negotiated percentage of ticket receipts. The assistant coaches have commonly
exceeded $200,000 in salaries, with top assistants averaging $700,000. All of this fortune
depends on the players willingness to perform what is identified as volunteer work.
The NCAA and colleges are also profiting from the names and images of the student
athletes that are displayed in the video games and DVDs of memorable games played. The
NCAA Football video game, licensed by the NCAA through IMG College to Electronic Arts, one
of the worlds largest video game manufacturers, reportedly sold 2.5 million copies in 2008.(3)
All of this money is made from the student athletes whose likeness is shown in the films or video
games but none of the profits go to them. NCAA claims that student athletes have no property
rights on their own athletic accomplishments. In order to be eligible to play, college athletes
have to waive their rights to proceeds from any sales based on their athletic performance.
In conclusion, athletes should not have to graduate with a degree as a condition of their
scholarship and if they have the option of going professional early, they should probably receive
money back from the university. This debate has been going on for a long time and the NCAA
should be more diligent in cleaning up its image. Last month, on October 27, 2011 the NCAA
made some major changes to their rules. The Division I Board of Directors approved a package

of sweeping reforms that gives conferences the option of adding more money to scholarship
offers, schools the opportunity to award scholarships for multiple years, imposes tougher
academic standards on recruits and changes the summer basketball recruiting model. (4) The
board also approved a measure that will give individual schools the authority to award
scholarships on a multiple year basis. If adopted, schools could guarantee scholarships for the
players entire career and would be unable to revoke it based solely on athletic performance. If I
was good enough to go professional as a student athlete, I wouldnt or couldnt guarantee
graduation unless they provided security.

work cited

Heitner, Darren. The Good, the Bad and the Potential of College Sports | Sports
Agent Blog. The Good, the Bad and the Potential of College Sports | Sports Agent
Blog. Sports Agent Blog, n.d. Web. 3 October 2013. Additionally frustrating is the
NCAAs rule of only allowing schools to issue one-year scholarships. Joseph Agnew,
a student at Rice University in Houston, had been cut from the football team and had
his scholarship revoked by Rice before his senior year, meaning that he faced at
least $35,000 in tuition and other bills if he wanted to complete his degree in
sociology. Bereft of his scholarship, he was flailing about for help, writes Branch.
Agnew brought suit against the NCAA asking the federal court to strike down the
NCAA rule that prohibits colleges from offering any athletic scholarship longer than
aone-year commitment. The one-year rule effectively allows colleges to cut

underperforming student-athletes, just as pro sports teams cut their players. Plenty
of them dont stay in school, said one of Agnews lawyers, Stuart Paynter. Theyre
just gone. You might as well shoot them in the head.

NCAA panel approves major scholarship rules changes - ESPN. NCAA panel
approves major scholarship rules changes - ESPN. ESPN, n.d. Web. 13 October
2013.
Last year, CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting paid $771 million to the NCAA for
television rights to the 2011 mens basketball tournament alone. Thats three-quarters of
a billion dollars built on the backs of amateurs on unpaid labor. The whole edifice
depends on the players willingness to perform what is effectively volunteer work, writes
Branch.

The Shame of College Sports - Atlantic article | The Connecticut Forum. The
Shame of College Sports - Atlantic article | The Connecticut Forum. n.p., n.d. Web. 3
October 2013.
the Division I Board of Directors approved a package of sweeping reforms that gives
conferences the option of adding more money to scholarship offers, schools the
opportunity to award scholarships for multiple years, imposes tougher academic
standards on recruits and changes the summer basketball recruiting model. ("NCAA
panel approves major scholarship rules changes - ESPN").

David Cook: The whiff of the plantation | timesfreepress.com. David Cook: The
whiff of the plantation | timesfreepress.com. timesfreepress.com, n.d. Web. 3
October 2013. Last year, CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting paid $771 million to
the NCAA for television rights to the 2011 mens basketball tournament alone. Thats
three-quarters of a billion dollars built on the backs of amateurs on unpaid labor.
The whole edifice depends on the players willingness to perform what is effectively
volunteer work, writes Branch. ("David Cook: The whiff of the plantation |