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Essay / The History of College Athletics - 1871
Swindling All-StarsThe topic of college athletics has always been very prominent in the news. Most recently, members of the Northwestern University football team came together to create the first college sports union (Novy-Williams and Soshnick, 2014). Their goal is to gain control of their collegiate athletic careers, including what they believe to be long-overdue financial benefits. This case reopened the long-standing debate over whether or not college athletes should be paid. The History of College Athletics The Beginnings of College Athletics College athletics began specifically as a “recreational” activity (Sack and Staurowsky, 1998, p. 3). Today, college athletics is a far cry from its humble beginnings more than a hundred years ago. It wasn't until 1906 that the National Collegiate Athletic Association, called the NCAA, was formed. Violence in football was the main reason the NCAA was created; however, eligibility rules and amateurism were also priority issues. The NCAA consensus was that college sports should be reserved for student amateurs. In 1916, the NCAA formally defined the term amateur athlete in Article VI(b) of its statutes, stating that "an amateur is one who participates in competitive physical sports solely for pleasure and for physical advantage, mental, moral and social directly”. which derive from it” (Sack & Staurowsky, 1998, p. 34). In 1922, this definition was modified to include the statement "to whom sport is nothing more than a vocation", meaning nothing more than a pastime (Sack & Staurowsky, 1998, p 35). Over time, college sports have become much more than a hobby for athletes and colleges. As many colleges began to make huge profits from sporting events, the NCA...... middle of paper ......lleran, 2013). If athletes were paid, they might no longer be considered amateurs, which could affect how people view college sports. Finally, if athletes were paid, they might have difficulty seeing themselves as students and following all school, team, and league rules. Conclusion The question of whether or not to pay college athletes has been debated for many years. Although it will be quite difficult to implement a payment system for college athletes, and many legal and ethical issues will need to be considered, the facts show that it should have been done long ago. These college athletes, who give heart and soul to their teams, are exploited when millions of dollars are earned each year and they cannot afford toothpaste. It is time for the NCAA and colleges to correct this mistake and compensate these student-athletes in a manner that is fair to everyone involved..