Should college athletes be paid? This is a commonly asked and highly debated question. In 2008 the total revenue raised by the top ten college football programs like Ohio State, Oklahoma State, and Texas A&M ranged between 91,000,000 and 123,000,000 dollars. These colleges use athletes to take in revenue. Granted, the money is used to build state-of-the-art facilities, buy equipment, and pay coaches and trainers, but at what point should a Division I college sport be considered a job?

21,000 male college athletes from all divisions participated in a USA Today survey about their comparison between their sport and their studies. Two out of every three said that they consider themselves more athletes than students. Football players in the NCAA Division I admitted that they spend an average of 44.8 hours a week on their sport (games, practices, training, and weight training) compared to less than 40 hours a week on academics.

With all of the time spent on athletics, is it possible for them to take full advantage of their college education? A typical day in the life of a college athlete entails a morning lift or workout, followed by classes, and a three hour practice in the afternoons. They also include watching film and team meals. Weekends, or sometimes even weeknights may be spent traveling to away games. This hectic schedule does not stop when the season does, it is a full year round commitment. According to the NCAA only 1.6% of football players and 1.2% of male basketball players become professional. So, for the vast majority, their college years are the last years they will play. Without a proper education, the options for the players who do not go pro after college are limited.

The odds are not in these players favor. For the time and effort they put into the college, they deserve to be paid. There is no guarantee that they will go on to the next level, and chances are that they will not. These young adults bring hundreds of millions of dollars to these universities through tickets, branding, and media rights. They deserve something concrete in return.