With all the money being made from college sports, NCAA president Mark Emmert thinks the athletes deserve to get paid … well, kind of. According to the Associated Press, Emmert said Monday he supports a proposal to allow conferences to increase grants to student athletes by $2,000 “to more closely approach” the full cost of attending college, beyond the athletic scholarships athletes receive for tuition, fees, room, board and books.
Some of the biggest college football programs — Ohio State, USC and Miami — recently have been under NCAA investigations for players receiving improper benefits. While the violations led to the scrutiny of players, coaches and universities, it also brought to light the recurring argument that these student athletes should be getting paid.
Would players still have sold their jerseys or taken money from boosters if they had an extra $2,000 in their wallets?
It’s hard to believe that amount of money would have altered those situations, but the proposal to increase grants at least may quiet some of those critics who believe college athletes deserve compensation.
– Jeffrey Tomik
