Paying athletes jeopardizes college football’s integrity


Change is on the horizon in college sports, as universities will have the option of paying athletes beginning in 2016.

This comes after U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in favor of former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon in his case against the NCAA in August. Once athletes’ college careers end, they could potentially be paid through a trust fund that is to be set up.

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The NCAA is currently appealing the decision issued against them by U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken in the Ed O’Bannon case. — Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

There is no doubt this will have benefits for athletes. Finally, these student-athletes will get some compensation for all the money they bring into their respective universities and the NCAA, and be able to get through college without “going hungry”, as former Connecticut basketball guard said following the team’s National Championship victory.

Nonetheless, this change could forever alter the landscape of college sports, especially college football. One of the reasons people love college football is because it’s not the same as the NFL, in part to the many traditions the sport evokes and because of the culture surrounding the many colleges programs, rather than just the individual.

If you just take some time to watch the intro to “College Football Live”, you will hear and see fight songs, rowdy fans, and be able to observe the over-arching legacy of a college program.
Many big-time players are able to become very famous rather quickly in college football; for instance, Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill was all over ESPN after throwing for over 400 yards against South Carolina in the first game of his collegiate career.

Despite the great amount of attention those such as Kenny “Football” have received, a player can get in trouble for expressing his/her individuality. While NFL players, like Aaron Rodgers, are famous for touchdown dances or signature moves, a college player who celebrates or so much as unnecessarily dives into the end-zone can be penalized by the referees. 

This may seem unfair, but after all, it’s college football. But in the future with program’s potentially paying players, the thin line between an individual and the team may become blurry.
Many players have already acted like they are entitled to certain privileges including former Aggie’s quarterback Johnny Manziel or last year’s Heisman trophy winner in Florida State QB Jameis Winston.

What will happen when big-name players for big-name programs know that will be paid for their services regardless of the outcome of the game? It very well may become more difficult for some players to maintain their discipline and focus on the team when they know they will be getting paid potentially thousands of dollars.

Another reason people love college football is to see Cinderella teams or underdogs upset the Goliath’s by wining big-time bowl games against big-name power five conference opponents like when Boise State beat Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl or when TCU beat Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl.

Nevertheless, the powerhouse football programs may further distance themselves from the smaller ones with this recent court decision. Many highly-ranked recruits out of high school may start making their decisions based on which program will potentially pay them the most, and the Alabama’s, the USC’s and the Texas’s of the world will be able to offer them what they want, leaving the Boise State’s at an even greater recruiting disadvantage than they are at now.

Paying college athletes is probably the right decision, but college football and its programs must be very careful in order to maintain their identities.