College athletes are often considered to be some of the luckiest young students in the world. Most of the time they’re riding on full-fledged scholarships that cover all the costs of school; plus, they are in a prime position to make a reputation for themselves in the sporting world and prepare for the big leagues. However, there are a lot of problems with how college athletes are treated, and many students, coaches, team owners and organizational members (such as those at NCAA, or the National College Athletic Association) are demanding reform. Their main desire? To see that dependable college athletes are getting paid for their skills on the field.

Many people believe college athletes need to be paid because financially, they are being taken advantage of by the NCAA and school systems. These organizations are raking in huge profits from merchandise sales, live events of media coverage. Unlike the professional leagues, though, the athletes don’t get a cut. College teams may not have the same national weight as some professional ones, but they are just as avidly followed by thousands of adoring fans. Tons of merchandise, jerseys, tickets, food and fan paraphernalia is sold thanks to their performances – but despite being the main reason the events are generating revenue; the players don’t see a dime. Many athletes feel discouraged and mistreated because they don’t receive any of the money that is generated on their account. Why should others keep benefiting from their performance while the get nothing back?

College sports wouldn’t exist without the athletes, and it’s not fair that these hard-working, hard-playing individuals don’t get to benefit from sales attributed directly to them. The NCAA and other organizations will even put a college player’s name on a jersey, hat or other sportswear and never send a penny to the player. Student athletes should be not only be able to receive a percentage of revenue generated on their account, but also be able to pursue business deals and endorsement opportunities. Many college athletes are kept back from pursuing these types of deals by their school, even though there’s nothing in regulations that should bar it.

College athletes deserve financial recognition for the merchandise profit they generate, as well as the opportunity to pursue their own financial gains. As athletes, they work hard on the field every day to bring in fans and wins for their school; it’s only fair that they are rewarded for their efforts, at least in some small way.