By Michael Dominguez
College athletes and students work hard to earn scholarships to attend the school they want.
To get their degree from and get a job and be able to make a living off it but being a student athlete is a difficult one.
While trying to juggle practice and school.
Many are also trying to live with very little money while their universities makes millions from students.
Student athletes are not earning a dime of the money made from ticket sales, posters of the team or jersey sales, so why don’t they see a cut of that money they made for the school?
The public may not agree with student athletes getting paid for fear that they may spent it on cars or jewelry.
But let’s be realistic. Students who are trying to earn degrees in social sciences aren’t bringing in money to build the new math building on campus. It was, rather, the profit made from the sports teams and boosters who give money to the program.
In a article by business insider in 2016, Texas A&M made over $192.6 million off revenue with $47 million off licensing rights, $92.1 million in donations, $57.9 million off the football team $8.6 off men’s basketball and 1.5 million off Women’s Basketball.
College sports are businesses that don’t give back to the players. According to an article from Business Insider, in 2017, the National College Athletics Association Men’s Basketball tournament generated over $1 billion in just television rights and broadcasting.
The same article estimates that by 2025, it will make a $1.1 billion every year.
While the NCAA is bringing in the cash, students is on the field are risking getting hurt their, and also jeopardizing their dreams of becoming professional athletes because of a bad injury.
Student athletes could end up leaving college with nothing but bad knees and a concussion.
Schools everywhere should give their athletes a lump sum of cash every few months during the sport’s season.
It would show they are grateful to the fans who support and buy team products. Being a student athlete is difficult. Many are juggling jobs while meeting the demands of school and practice. If not, student athletes should be allowed to work so they could get through college. Many of these players never finish college and only attend for a year or two if they are a basketball college athlete.
In the case of football players only do the three years and are off to the National Football league.
Colleges must find a way to share their earned money and give back to students in someway.
That way if a student athlete does get hurt and can’t pursue a sport’s careers because of injury they could have funds to help them with medical expenses.