In all reality most people understand that when it is broken down to its most simple state, professional and collegiate sports are glorified
businesses. Yet, since professional leagues have different bodies presiding over them depending on the sport, we will focus on the NCAA. It is the behemoth of a organization that controls all aspects of every college sport in the United States of America.In 2014 the National Collegiate Athletic Association pulled in just under $1 billion dollars.According to NCAA.org, slightly more than 90% of that money is put back into the system and aids student-athletes. This still leaves the “not for profit” with almost $10 million to distribute among its employees. About $2.7 billion is even spent on athletic scholarships each year. It is clear that the organization cares about the student-athletes’ successes and wellbeing, to a degree. After all, they are the ones bringing in the money and drawing excitement for each game However, how about the schools these athletes are playing for? The scholarship fact may sound nice, but put into perspective it is not that impressive. The top grossing universities spent 3.5 times more on their coaches than those scholarships for the players and double for new buildings and restoration projects. So, it seems as if those student-athletes are being placed as a last priority to these schools. Many people see these young adults as scammed employees of a greedy cash-cow, while others deem them as students first and therefore do not deserve pay. As of now the NCAA does not pay student-athletes and does not intend to budge from the ideology anytime soon. 
Most people do not realize the logistics that would have to go in paying student-athletes. How much should they be paid? Should it depend on how much that sport makes in profits each year? Should those student still get scholarships as well? For those proponents of collegiate athletes, imagine they receive a $100,000 salary for their talents. Also, although this might seem a lot for a college student, please keep in mind that a majority of Division 1 collegiate athletic programs make more than $10 million in revenue. Also, if that student-athlete was to be taken high in their respective draft, they would be making much more than $100,000. The minimum rookie salary in the National Football League is $450,000. So, after taxes (federal income, state, Social Security, etc.) what would be
left is about $65,100.Now, let’s take PennState University as the school of choice for said athlete. Also, because a lot of players what to go to famous universities to showcase their skills, there is a good chance this young adult is from out of state.With PennState’s out-of-state tuition around $47,000, $18,000 is left in this athlete’s bank account. This would have to account for any other expenses such as travel, doctors, and other purchases outside the university.
However for those that believe that universities should delegate a cut of their revenues to their most prized “employees”, many people are behind you. In what economy or business do the most efficient workers not get paid a single cent for dedicating 43.3 hours to the job. This is all on top of regular classes that students like you and me struggle with daily as it is. And remember those scholarships that were mentioned earlier? Those are not as a big of a help as most initially believe. The average NCAA scholarship for athletes covers about $11,000. And coming out of high school only about 2% of players receive such money. So, the chances of getting recruited and earning scholarship money are incredibly difficult. Whether you believe in paying student-athletes or not, there is no denying that there is major money in college sports. In many cases, universities are constantly losing money, but paying their coaches and executives lucrative paychecks. For example, the Florida State non-coaching administration saw a $7.3 million dollar raise, while the school was also facing a $2 million dollar deficit. In fact, in 41 out of 50, the highest paid public employee is an athletic coach for a college. 
So, when schools are looking for many perhaps they should be looking in the pockets of their own employees, because they seem be taking a large piece of the prize. Do you believe that universities are investing their money well in their athletic programs? Also, should student-athletes be paid for their talent?