Answer: Yes they should be paid
Explanation:
6 Reasons Why College Athletes Should Be Paid
They Rake In Cash for Their Schools
College athletes make their schools millions of dollars, so they should naturally receive a cut of the action. This argument holds true especially for football and basketball players, who become household names during their respective seasons.
Everyone around them makes money, but the students responsible for generating revenue receive nothing. To the truly jaded, this is a blatant form of exploitation.
They Give Their Schools Valuable Exposure
The exposure student-athletes bring to their schools can boost applications and donations. The Flutie Effect on college admissions — named for Doug Flutie, the Boston College quarterback who put his institution on the map in 1984 with his famous Hail Mary pass against the University of Miami and his Heisman-winning season — can be dramatic. For BC, the effect was a 30% increase in applications over two years.
More broadly, a study showed that when a football team "rises from mediocre to great," applications increase 18.7%. Similarly, if a team improves its win total by five games in a season, alumni donations go up 28%.
Playing Equals Working
Participating in intercollegiate athletics constitutes a full-time job. A 2017 NCAA survey revealed that Division I athletes dedicate an average of 35 hours per week to their sport during the season.
The opportunity cost of not working is considerable. A work-study job could pay several thousand dollars each year, and working at the typical minimum wage — $7.25 per hour — for 35 hours a week would earn the student a little over $1,000 per month.
Sports Take Away From Studies
Sports' considerable time commitment cuts into students' study time. Leaving aside barbs about the "student" part of "student-athlete," how is an athlete supposed to keep up with academics during their playing season? What about earning good grades and positioning oneself for the competitive job market? Might some form of financial compensation make this compromise easier to take?
Athletes Need Spending Money
Like other college students, athletes need spending money. Even if a student receives a full-ride scholarship, the award doesn't provide pocket money for incidentals and entertainment. If a student doesn't hold a part-time job, where does that money come from (besides their parents)?
The Potential for Injury Makes Compensation a Must
Athletes constantly risk injury and therefore deserve proper compensation. A seriously injured athlete could lose their scholarship (which is guaranteed only for one year at a time), jeopardize their opportunity to play professionally and potentially earn millions, or even face lifelong disability if the damage is permanent.
We're far more savvy today about concussions and the long-term effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A 2017 study found that 91% of former college football players who had died had CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to dementia.