The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) currently prohibits college athletes from receiving compensation for their athletic talent and contributions — other than scholarships — in order to maintain their amateur status. But members of Congress and lawmakers in at least four states are trying to change that.
A new survey of 2,500 undergraduates finds that more than 8 in 10 students (84%) say the NCAA takes advantage of student athletes. More than half (53%) of college students favor allowing universities to pay athletes a salary, while 46% oppose the idea.
“This would really only happen for D1, big school, star football players, and they deserve it,” a Yale student says. “They make millions of dollars for the school, including selling merch with their name on it, and often get injuries that severely impact the money they can make later in the NFL.”
If collegiate athletes were paid a salary, 6 in 10 (60%) students say that compensation should apply to athletes in all sports, while 38% say it should only apply to sports that bring in significant revenue to the college.
Male students tend to be more supportive of compensating college athletes, perhaps reflecting the higher proportion of male students who participate in revenue-generating sports. Male students are more likely than female students to say that universities should pay athletes (59% vs. 49%). However, female students are more likely than male students to say salaries should apply to all sports rather than just those that make money (65% vs. 52%).
Female Students are Less Likely to Support Paying College Athletes
Percent of students who favor allowing…
The Student-Athlete Equity Act, introduced in Congress in March, aims to amend the definition of an amateur sports organization in the tax code in order to allow student athletes to make money off of their name, image, and likeness. More than three-quarters (77%) of students support allowing athletes to profit off their likeness, including selling jerseys or posters.
Under the NCAA’s current rules, scholarships are the only form of payment college athletes can accept, but 8 in 10 (80%) students say athletes on full-ride sports scholarships should be paid when their name or image is used in video games or to sell merchandise. Only 18% of students disagree.
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 2,500 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
