Since the beginning of college sports, football players have always played for the love of the game. This concept trickled down to lower levels including junior college and high school. Today is a new age and as the sport has grown, so have the fans. This has lead to tremendous amounts of income for college programs and now the players want a cut of the income which they have been bringing into the university.

The Big Ten alone brings in millions of dollars with the number one football team in profit being the University of Michigan, which brings in $64,628,017 ranging to the number 14 program University of Rutgers bringing in nearly $2 million according to ESPN. This is just one division of multiple programs in the NCAA. Although the majority of big-time football players get a full ride, in the way of scholarships, they still want a small piece of the pie.

Junior Graham Laubscher said, “I think getting a full ride is a big deal. It allows athletes to not pay a dime for anything they need regarding college and also gives them the chance to play the sport they love for a big program.”

Of all students that apply and get in and out of a college in a four year span, 71 percent leave with debt according to the Big Ten. This becomes an enormous burden for students right out of college and is a huge wake-up call to welcome them into the real world. Not having that issue, since athletes attend on scholarship, and coming out of college debt-free is a big deal on its own.

“If I was going to college paid in full through a sport I would not complain. I think it’s kind of ridiculous wanting to be paid when you’re literally going to college for free.  That alone is an awesome thing,” said sophomore Hailey Laubscher.

When a high school athlete makes the decision to move onto the college level, even though the athlete is the one who is recruited, the athlete ultimately chooses to sign a contract, agreeing to play the sport for the university in exchange for room, board and tuition as their compensation. Essentially, this is why signing day exists in high schools around the nation. It is a contract, a done-deal.  

“The big universities make tons of money and although athletes are given a free education, it only is fair for them to get some cash for the amount of cash they make for the college,” said junior Mitch Banken.

Going to college is about getting an education, not student-athletes earning money along the way. Most students have to consider how they will pay for their college education, either with loans or by receiving scholarships. It is not a time or a place for a paid position on the student’s part.  The goal of college is to advance people into paid positions in the real world,  in the sports world, if you want to be paid for what you do as an athlete you have to be good enough to move to the next level. This is where you would get a salary to be paid.  This however, involves the elite of the elite and is another story: Welcome to the NFL.