Abstract
In collegiate athletics the most debated topic is whether or not student-athletes should be compensated for their participation in college sports. Student-athletes sacrifice a lot to be a part of collegiate sports teams; including time and money. Those individuals given the opportunity to participate in college sports miss out on the opportunities that traditional students get the opportunity to take advantage of. The goal of this qualitative study is to explore the opinions of former Division I student-athletes and the highly debated topic in collegiate athletics; pay for play. We review the large amounts of revenue the NCAA has generated throughout the years and increasing number of NCAA amateurism violations. This research established the phenomena behind student-athletes and the need for compensation for their participation in collegiate sports. How might the implementation of pay for play have impacted the success of student-athletes in the classroom? This is considered using in-depth interviews. The participants were male and female all former Division I student-athletes both who were on athletic scholarships for more than two years. Key findings from the research suggest that pay for play would change the course of collegiate athletics as we know it and create dialogue about the dynamics that enable student-athletes to violate the NCAA amateurism policy. The findings of this study will add to the knowledge of student-athlete development.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sports Management & Commercialization
KEYWORDS
NCAA, Student-Athlete, Sports, Division I Athletics, Pay for Play
