Pay UpThe world of sports has become larger than life over the last century, especially in college. Being a collegiate athlete is, without a doubt, the most difficult athletic profession in the world. Not only are students dedicated to their sport, which requires an obscene amount of preparation time, but they are also dedicated to their school work. And the reward they receive for their hard work? Of course there are the good memories, the friendships made, the “free education” or the national championships, but do these students get their fair share? Should college athletes get paid? It's a question that has been asked, but never really answered. College athletes should be paid for their work. I also have the perfect system to ensure college athletes receive their fair share: Pay! It's that simple. Being a college athlete is one of the hardest lifestyles to maintain. It's very difficult to bear, mentally and physically. Collegiate sports have become increasingly competitive, requiring more time for the people involved in them to devote more time and energy to maintaining a competitive advantage. In professional football, also known as the NFL, preseason training doesn't begin until late March after the NFL draft. The first preseason football game won't be held until the second week of August. Meanwhile the players meet 5 days a week, sometimes six, in preparation for the next season. On average a practice can last 8 to 9 hours with some breaks in between. It doesn't seem that bad considering the fact that these guys make millions of dollars a year. Now let's get into the life of a college athlete. First of all, the off season business...... middle of paper...... at steaks like; coaching jobs, college funding, alumni support, etc. “According to IRS tax regulations; college athletes should be considered employees” (Anthony). In addition to the money that sports programs are responsible for bringing in, universities rely heavily on sports programs to attract new students each year. These are just more jobs that a student athlete does, whether they want to or not. The solution I propose to solve this problem is simple. Only pay student athletes the money they deserve. Pat Oakes-Melvin states in an online article, “The amount a student should be paid depends on whether the athlete participates in a revenue-producing or non-revenue-producing sport” (Anthony). Students who play sports that do not generate income should be able to work. They would then be able to support themselves outside of their scholarships.