Dear Next President:

I am a student and an athlete at West Albany High School in Albany Oregon. As the fall sport season is just now starting the question whether or not college football athletes should get paid is coming out in full force. I strongly disagree with this. This is an every year occurrence and the question this year is especially talked about. If you have not heard the question, here it is. Should college football athletes get paid to play for their school? Many people agree and disagree with this question.

The college experience is all about becoming independent, spending time with friends, and finding the things you want and love to do. If you are a college athlete you have time for all of that; you also have the responsibility of being part of the team and playing for your school. Expenses of college these days are very expensive and many families have that hard decision deciding whether or not you should or shouldn't attend college. According to the New Yorker, College athletic coaches and staff all throughout the United States thought that giving college athletes five thousand dollars per person would contribute to the athletes' expenses. The money was not just given out; they stated how the money was given out for all the pictures and videos that were taken and put on commercials to promote their team. All these pictures and videos that had been taken should have all been a privilege and an honor, seeing themselves promoting the sport and their team. Money should have never been distributed for the use of these pictures and videos.

The NFL has invested, and earned, millions upon millions of dollars for the National Football League. According to Daily Local News, college athletes should be excited to be playing for their school and not having to take on extreme financial responsibilities yet. College athletes that are drafted to play for the NFL after they play for the state school sign a contract and then become paid to play football and earn money while doing it. That is now their job. The athletes are now out of school and the way that they earn money for them personally and for their families is playing football. College is different than that. You attend school, play football and many things in between. Athletes (not all, but most) are on scholarships to play for their state school. A full ride scholarship means that all their college is paid for so they don't have to worry about that. Both sport and educational scholarships are given out by schools each and every year. There is an extreme difference between playing football while attending college and making a living while playing it. I like to refer to this as College Life Vs. Career. This example is of two extremes of what the athletes should be doing compared to what they are doing.

By paying these athletes, players will be at a major disadvantage. All of the top playing, and top earning athletes will all be going on a full ride scholarship to the top schools in the US. The rest of the athletes will be intermixed between colleges. Not only will they be all playing for that specific school but they will now all be drafted into the NFL and the cycle will just keep ongoing. The idea that college athletes should get paid is an outrageous question! Athletes should be playing and enjoying the time that they have playing for their school, while not receiving any money. Coaches, directors and fans should all be supporting them all every step of the way.

Sincerely,

Allie