Pay For Play: The Business of College Football

College athletics is big business these days, and the money pot is growing increasingly larger every year. College football is by far the biggest moneymaker of them all. The athletic departments of the 114 division one colleges generated over two billion dollars in 2013. The top ten schools on the list all brought in over $100,000,000 in revenue last year. This money comes from ticket sales, marketing, television revenue, branding and licensing, and donations from boosters.

Because of this, the schools profit big time and are able to make improvements, get new buildings, build new stadiums, add programs, and pay enormous salaries to coaches. In addition, this also helps the school's enrollment, which helps generate more income. It seems that everyone is profiting from this big economic boost except the players.

I've heard the argument that the players are amateurs and shouldn't be compensated. There's also the argument that they are paid with a free education. OK, let's be real here! That's a bunch of hogwash! There's so much wrong with both of these philosophies, I barely know where to begin. However, I'll give it a shot. First of all, these players are being used in the sales and marketing of jerseys, video games, live game telecasts, and student athlete recruiting. Secondly, the scholarships athletes receive dates back to the 60s. I understand they get free room and board, books, and a free education. As good as that sounds, it's simply not enough in today's high stakes world of college athletics. Football coaches are paid on the average of 30 times more than what they were paid in the 60s and 70s.

However, the rules regarding student athletes have not changed at all. While the athletic programs, universities, and the NCAA reap the benefits of an amazing financial windfall, the student athletes remain stagnant. Furthermore, coaches aren't even allowed to offer any assistance at all without it being a violation. Somehow this has gone terribly wrong.

Why is it that huge profits can be made from a kid from the streets, yet he sees none of it? If there is a violation, it's only the kids that suffer. Even if a violation occurred years earlier, the current group suffers even though they had nothing to do with it. What's worse is that the coaches always escape clean and go on to other jobs. Case and point, Pete Carroll left USC just as the investigation into the Reggie Bush scandal was heating up. Reggie Bush lost his Heisman trophy for accepting money and gifts that the coach's claim they had no knowledge of. The school had to forfeit the national title and games for that year. Meanwhile Pete Carroll is coaching in the NFL without a blemish. I'm not saying these college athletes should be paid like the pros, but they should definitely be compensated.

It's time to change these antiquated rules of college sports. They are far behind the times and are the primary reason violations occur. If you can pay Bob Stoops and Nick Saban $5 million to coach, certainly the athletes that are generating the money deserve a slice of the pie. As long as the system remains the way it is, there are going to be athletes being paid under the table. It's extremely hard to tell a poor kid from the streets who knows he's making the school literally millions and in some cases billions of dollars, that he doesn't deserve any. Lets face it, the fans are coming to watch the athletes, not the coaches.

Wake up NCAA! Give these student athletes what they deserve, fair compensation. They've earned it!