Informative Essay

Alec Stark

Professor Hadsell

ENG 101

29 June 2023

How are US college athletes exploited?

Imagine risking your health and sacrificing your education, all for the glory of a system that reaps billions while offering you practically nothing in return. Well, that's the sad reality for US college athletes. US college athletes are exploited due to the significant revenue they generate for their institutions while receiving limited compensation and inadequate support for their physical and career development.

This disparity in compensation is not the only area where college athletes face exploitation. College athletic programs, especially in sports like football and basketball, generate billions of dollars in revenue through ticket sales, merchandise, broadcasting rights, and sponsorship deals. Despite this massive income, athletes themselves receive no direct monetary compensation for their contributions. Instead, they are often limited to scholarships that cover tuition, room, and board, which do not equate to the value they bring to their institutions. As the National College Players Association reports, "College athletes generate billions of dollars for their institutions, yet receive no direct monetary compensation for their labor. This stark disparity underscores the fundamental exploitation at the heart of college sports." This creates a vast contrast between the wealth generated by their performance and the financial benefits they receive.

Beyond financial inequalities, college athletes endure intense physical demands, leading to a higher risk of injuries that can have long-term consequences. However, many institutions fail to provide adequate medical care and long-term health insurance for these athletes. Once their college careers end, athletes often find themselves responsible for medical bills and rehabilitation costs stemming from injuries sustained while playing. As Taylor Branch states in The Atlantic, "College athletes, who make billions for their schools, are often left without adequate health care, forced to pay out-of-pocket for injuries sustained in service to their teams" (Branch, 2011). This lack of comprehensive health support highlights the exploitation, as their health and well-being are compromised for the financial gain of the institutions. A survey I conducted among 24 respondents aimed to gauge awareness of the exploitation faced by US college athletes. The survey revealed that only 2 participants were initially aware that 90% of college athletes suffer injuries during their college years. By the end of the survey, awareness of these issues increased.("How Common Are Sports Injuries," n.d.). This lack of awareness further highlights the negligence and inadequate support athletes receive, exacerbating the exploitation of their physical well-being for institutional profit.

The time commitment required for college athletics often hampers athletes' academic progress and career development outside of sports. Many athletes struggle to balance rigorous training schedules with their studies, and the support they receive for academic and career planning is often inadequate. As a result, once their athletic eligibility expires, many find themselves without the necessary skills, education, or connections to succeed in careers outside of sports. The New York Times notes, "Many college athletes find themselves devoting upwards of 40 hours a week to their sports, leaving little time for academics or career development. This imbalance hampers their educational opportunities and future career prospects."("College Athletes Have Limited Time," 2019) This leaves them vulnerable and disadvantaged, having sacrificed their educational opportunities for the revenue-generating priorities of their institutions.

The recognition of these issues is growing, as reflected in public opinion and survey data. The perception of college athlete exploitation is increasingly recognized. At the beginning of the survey I conducted, 91.7% of respondents believed that US college athletes are exploited. By the end of the survey, this number rose to 95.8%, a 3.9% increase. This shift highlights how exposure to information about the revenue generated by college sports, the lack of compensation, and the inadequate support for athletes’ physical and academic needs can change public opinion. It underscores the growing awareness and consensus that the current system exploits college athletes for institutional profit.

Increasing awareness of the disparity between the immense revenues generated by college athletes and their limited compensation underscores the urgent need for reform. It is clear that addressing the exploitation of college athletes is essential to ensuring fairness and equity in collegiate sports.

Work Cited

Branch, Taylor. "The Shame of College Sports." The Atlantic, Oct. 2011, 

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/308643/

College Athletes Have Limited Time for Academics and Career Development." The New York 

Times, 19 Mar. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/03/19/sports/college-athletes-academics.html

National College Players Association (NCPA). "The $6 Billion Heist: Robbing College Athletes 

Under the Cover of Amateurism." 2019, www.ncpanow.org/reports.

"The Cardinal. 'How Common Are Sports Injuries in College and at SVC?' The Cardinal, Skagit 

Valley College, thecardinal.skagit.edu/how-common-are-sports-injuries-in-college-and-at-svc/#:~

=That%20not%20it%20though%2C%20if,continued%20playing%20after%20being%20injured