We are told female athletes are paid less than men because they generate less money. So if you think pro athletes make too much money, maybe you should stop watching them. [29] [30], Further, most college programs do not generate the income needed to run their athletic programs, much less pay athletes. Should Professional Athletes Be Paid? - 550 Words | Bartleby How do you think other governing bodies should address the pay disparities that exist between male and female players in many sports? procon@eb.com, 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Source: Womens National Basketball Players Association (2019, 2020). [21], Azmatullah Hussaini, MD, President of the New York/New Jersey chapter of the American Muslim Health Professionals, and Jules Lipoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, offered additional context: especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, [g]iven that athletes are disproportionately Black in the biggest revenue-generating sports football and basketball this dynamic also evokes Americas horrific history of unpaid slave labor. Outside the majors, the average earnings of U.S. women ranked by the Womens Tennis Association were higher than the U.S. men in the Association of Tennis Professionals. In U.S. Students, read the entire article, then tell us: What is your reaction to the settlement? Women were. As women and girls continue to fight for equal opportunity in the workplace, the fields, arenas and courts have been, and will continue to be, no exception. Nike hasnt made asignature shoefor a WNBA player in over 20 years. The compensation for professional athletes differs from traditional pay because, Matheson said, fans have limited choices compared to other industries - a phenomenon known as "superstar. With a new decade ahead, we are taking a look back at how athlete compensation changed over the past ten years, and the obvious trends of wage equality in sports. Next, some MLB players will earn more in one game than the average American household makes in 10 years. Divisions II and III of the NCAA followed suit and the changes went into effect for all three divisions on July 1, 2021. 2. In the 1997-98 season, NBA rookies made 176% more than WNBA rookies. Their hope is that by moving closer to a 50-50 split, common in other pro sports, they can increase salaries for all players, male and female. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Now, the N.C.A.A. In fact, some pro athletes in minor league baseballdont even make minimum wage. Without the players, the leagues wouldnt exist. Think about Jamarcus Russel, the former No. The suit is still ongoing. That adds up to about $400,000 a year. Sports betting is now legal in the majority of US states. Another sign of growth toward pay equality is that tennis players from both the ATP and WTA have come together to campaign for a larger share of tournament revenues. Professional sports revenues are rapidly increasing because of the seemingly insatiable appetites for unique TV programs. In fiscal year 2019, the collective expenses of the 65 Power Five schoolsthe largest and richest Division I schools in the NCAAexceeded revenue by $7 million. Limits on Paying College Athletes, nytimes.com, Dec. 16, 2020, Dennis Dodd, Breaking Down the NCAA's Forthcoming Supreme Court Battle with Its Big Brother Status and Amateurism at Stake, cbssports.com, Feb. 3, 2021, NCAA, 2021 March Madness: Complete Schedule, Dates, ncaa.org (accessed Mar. players. Why are female athletes still paid less than males? What are sports like at your school? While compensation for women has improved over the past decade, the gap still extends to even the worlds highest-paid players. These players are apart from their families and have to stay in hotels and eat out at many places. Why or why not? Consider the pro position of the National College Players Association that paying college athletes is a civil rights issue. 1 overall pick in the '07 draft. Sport Management Blog: Olivia Franks 4 Tips for Success, Male vs Female Professional Sports Salary Comparison, 2010 Mens World Cup: $420 million, $30 million winners share, 2011 Womens World Cup: $5.8 million, $1 millions winners share, 2018 Mens World Cup: $400 million, $38 million, 2019 Womens World Cup: $30 million, $4 million winners share. [48], A 2019 Seton Hall Sports Poll found that 60% of those surveyed agreed that college athletes should be allowed compensation for their name, image, and/or likeness, while 32% disagreed, and 8% were unsure. The gulf in TV money between mens and womens sports leagues is massive. 7, 2018, Steve Berkowitz, NCAA President Mark Emmert Credited with $2.7 Million in Total Pay for 2018 Calendar Year, usatoday.com, June 2, 2020, USA Today, NCAA Salaries, usatoday.com, Nov. 17, 2020, Ian McMahan, Athletes Are Paying the Physical Price of Playing College Sports, si.com, Oct. 31, 2017, Azmatullah Hussaini and Jules Lipoff, Op-Ed: COVID-19 Is Making the NCAAs Exploitation of Student-Athletes Even More Obvious, latimes.com, June 23, 2020, Meghan Walsh, 'I Trusted 'Em': When NCAA Schools Abandon Their Injured Athletes, theatlantic.com, May 1, 2013, Jon Solomon, The History Behind the Debate over Paying NCAA Athletes, aspeninstitute.org, Apr. After all, athletes earn more money than teachers, first responders, and members of the military. [31], If students were paid, the NCAA argues, many colleges and universities would have to offer fewer scholarships and the remaining scholarships would be distributed unfairly to top football and mens basketball players because those two sports bring in the most revenue. Jim Treleaven: Should College Athletes be Paid? There is no guaranteed money. are thriving at the highest levels, all higher percentages than their non-athlete peers. The American League and now the National League both use designated hitters. Please enter a valid number of votes for one class to proceed. Was this the outcome you expected? The pay disparities in baseball/softball and basketball come down almost entirely to the revenue their leagues generate. Should College Athletes Be Paid? Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org For example, players in the National Womens Soccer League make only between $16,000 and $44,000 a season. So if you think pro athletes make too much money, maybe you should stop watching them. But far more comes from the multibillion-dollar deals made with cable and TV networks to broadcast games. In team sports, its more difficult to stand out, says Scott Minto, the head of the MBA sports program at San Diego State University. Sources: CareerTrend (NPF); ESPN (PGA & LPGA); Global Sports Salaries (MLB, MLS, NBA, WNBA); NWSLSoccer.com (NWSL); Tennis.com (ATP; WTA). The truth is, some professional athletes make huge salaries because millions of people are happy to pay money to see those players make the amazing catchesand breathtaking plays we love to watch. Both mens and womens basketball used the unusual circumstances to play with online options and enhance the at-home fan experience, and the WNBA saw its highest draft viewership in 16 years during the 2020 virtual draft. [40], Paying players would also limit the literal and figurative playing fields to elite universities with large budgets. They make their teammates better, thereby improving the whole team (thinkTom Brady Kevin Durant, and, of course,Michael Jordan, etc.). I am an editorial consumer intern reporting on sports and b-schools. [18] [19], Michael Sokolove, author of The Last Temptation of Rick Pitino (2018), explained, If you look at a program like [University of] Louisville, they generate about $45 million a year in revenue. As of 2014, a Sergeant of U.S Military who had two years of experience made $26,172. 4. [12] The Supreme Court heard arguments on Mar. While MLS and the NWSL have only been around for a few decades, the United States has fielded national soccer teams in World Cups since 1930 (US Mens National Team) and 1991 (US Womens National Team). Colleges reap billions from these student athletes sacrifices and success but, in the same breath, block them from earning a single dollar. Top U.S. mens player: Andy Roddick, $2,187,719, Top U.S. mens player: John Isner, $411,414, Average of U.S. women in top 100: $1,484,559, Top U.S. womens player: Serena Williams, $4,266,011, Average of U.S. women in top 100: $307,343, Top U.S. womens player: Sofia Kenin, $3,012,043. The large amounts of money invested in professional sports in recent years has the potential to drain the true meaning from sports. The top players in these leagues earn huge salaries that most Americans can only dream of. In fact, each basket Kobe Bryant scores earns him equivalent to the average classroom teachers yearly salary. An NHL Blackhawks player earned over 124 million dollars in 13 years.Why should athletes get paid so much to play a game? And under ordinary principles of antitrust law, it is not evident why college sports should be any different. Those who need reminding that women generally get paid less than men for doing the same work got it on Tuesday. How do you think stakeholders, such as fans, sponsors, tournament organizers, politicians and athletes, should engage with the fight for equal pay in womens sports, if at all? Respondents were split 50/50 in a June 1, 2021 New York Times survey about whether the NCAA strictly limiting paid compensation is constitutional. Spicemas Launch 28th April, 2023 - Facebook ), and Major League Baseball (M.L.B.) The NBA requires players to be at least 19 and a year out of high school, while the NFL requires players to be three years out of high school. Therefore, they deserve to earn more. SSI is devoted to the development of a better understanding of the role of amateur and professional sports in the economy and . The odds are even lower for womens basketball at 0.6%. List two to three ways. However, the men still come out ahead internationally. Rules," nytimes.com, June 30, 2021, Becky Sullivan, "UNC Becomes the First School to Organize Group Endorsement Deals for Its Players," npr.org, July 21, 2021, Josh Moody, "Lack of Clear-Cut NCAA Rules Creates Confusion about NIL," insidehighered.com, Jan. 4, 2022, John I. Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick, "College Sports Are a Treasure. This change in purpose has a negative impact on athletes ambition to play. Should College Athletes Be Paid? Yes and No - New York Times Fox Sports say the pool-play game versus Chile had record viewership for a Women's World Cup group-stagematch. The Bottom Line: While it seems like theres no way to stop such inflated salaries of professional athletes, the repercussions could cause long-term damage to professional sports. And the few athletes who get that far have relatively short careersjust 5 to 10 years to earn a living, compared with 40 or 50 years for other jobs. [13] [14] [41], Gabe Feldman, JD, Professor of Sports Law, Director of the Sports Law Program and Associate Provost for NCAA compliance at Tulane University, noted that the last time the NCAA was at the Supreme Court was in 1984 (NCAA vs. the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma). Haven't signed into your Scholastic account before? [34], The NCAA noted, [p]rofessional opportunities are extremely limited and the likelihood of a high school or even college athlete becoming a professional athlete is very low. Pro. [34], The major money-makers, football and mens basketball, have very low odds. players make about $500,000. There are a variety of reasons why some people believe professional athletes should be paid less. Consent is needed to contact you, but is not a requirement to register or enroll. It is true that on average, female athletes are paid far less than male athletes. Gender equity in tennis has been in the spotlight for decades, stretching back beyond Billie Jean Kings threat to boycott the 1973 U.S. Open. How much do you think the comparative revenue of mens and womens teams matters in determining pay? Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard But do these athletes really deserve all that money? Money is not everything, and being money-hungry can be harmful in the long run. Lower salaries wouldnt necessarily lead to lower ticket and hot dog prices for fans who go to the games. Here are three reasons for why the violence should be stopped and three reasons why it shouldn`t. Two Sides to Every Coin: Are Professional Athletes Overpaid? Professional Athletes Are Overpaid - The Odyssey Online The team filed a complaint against U.S. Soccer in March that states: Female WNT players would earn a maximum of $99,000 or $4,950 per game, while similarly situated male MNT players would earn an average of $263,320 or $13,166 per game. The players claim they face discrimination when it comes to where and how often they play, how they train and travel, the medical treatment and coaching they receive, and obviously their salaries. Being put through the kind. From these statistics, many would believe that women and men athletes should be equally paid because of an almost identical stat line that shows equivalent performance. The case is a bit murkier for the U.S. womens national soccer team, which is on the prowl for a second straight World Cup title and faces Spain tomorrow after sweeping its three pool-play matches. More than half the people in the United States make less than $62,000 a year. The players long battle with U.S. Soccer, which is not only their employer but also the sports national governing body, had thrust them to the forefront of a broader fight for equality in womens sports and drawn the support of fellow athletes, celebrities, politicians and presidential candidates. The EEOC never publishes a response, but the players received a 30% raise among other benefits in 2017. In contrast, the likelihood of an NCAA athlete earning a college degree is significantly greater; graduation success rates are 86% in Division I, 71% in Division II and 87% in Division III. [34]. The lowest-paid N.F.L., M.L.B., and N.B.A. They argued about whether they deserved the same charter flights as their male counterparts and about the definition of what constituted equal pay. [35] Further, a Gallup poll of 74,385 U.S. adults with a bachelors degree, finds that college graduates who participated in NCAA athletics experience a host of positive long-term life outcomes at greater rates than non-athletes. [36], Those positive outcomes include: 70% of NCAA athletes graduated in four years or fewer, 50% agree that college was worth the cost, 39% earned an advanced degree, 33% have good jobs after graduation, and 24% To learn more about the Adelphi University MS in Sport Management program, Ruth S. 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Why College Athletes Should be Paid | HuffPost Sports 2021, the NCAA was composed of [n]early half a million college athletes [who] make up the 19,886 teams that send more than 57,661 participants to compete each year in the NCAAs 90 championships in 24 sports across 3 divisions. [1] [2], The NCAA is seemingly the final authority to decide whether college athletes should be paid to play college sports. 1,217 will be draft picks, but only 791 will be drafted yearly, meaning about 9.9% of college baseball players will go pro, which is the largest likelihood in NCAA sports. This pay gap creates unnecessary tensions within sport teams and is unfair to teammates who sacrifice just as much but for less money.