College Voices
Should College Basketball Players Be Paid?
Many college basketball and football players have vehemently lamented their desire for the National Collegiate Athletic Association to begin paying them. The National Collegiate Athletic Association generates an exorbitant quantity of revenue from college basketball and football players predicated on games, television deals, jersey sales, national television games, and sponsorship.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association can capitalize off an athlete’s talent, ability, and popularity financially, but they forbid college athletes from monetizing their talent, ability, and popularity.
An abundance of people debated this dilemma for years, vying to strengthen their agenda on the matter, but it has always been a moot point so far. Although it seems like the National Basketball Association is no longer averting their attention, starting to look at the issue differently than the NCAA.
“The NBA is restructuring the layout of their developmental league, the G-league, for young prospects, so they can circumvent the college one-and-done rule that requires high school basketball players to complete at least one year of college before entering the draft.”
“Beginning next summer in 2019, the National Basketball Association G-league will offer select contracts consisting of $125,000 for the best players who are eighteen years old but hasn’t reached their eligibility for the NBA draft.” Athletes in other sports can pro in golf, tennis, baseball, hockey, boxing, or soccer, without first attending college.
“The deal that the G-league is proposing will allow the elite players to acquire an agent, and obtain endorsement deals. The revelation of this deal emerged October 18th on a Thursday.
However, they are yielding a college education, the mentorship and insight of college coaches, who are crucial in the development of some young players game.”
The NBA’s created another avenue for young players to explore in their basketball career other than college basketball or playing basketball overseas. In the fray of it all, this move places pressure on the NCAA.
The NCAA may have to vie for the attention of the top high school players in the country and overseas.
“August 31, 2017, the NCAA grossed $1.045 billion in revenue: $815,517,801 on television and marketing fees, $128,113,594 on championships and NIT tournaments, $47,129,872 on net investment income, $26,338,166 on gain-other, $19,958,458 on sales and services, $6,738,688 on contributions-facilities-net, $2,000 on contributions-other.”
The novelty G-league contract could potentially jeopardize the NCAA’s multi-billionaire corporation. The NCAA may soon need to examine prudent scenarios to reach a consensus with their players if the G-league succeeds in luring the top high school players in the country away from college basketball.