Compensation for Competing? The Struggle to Earn for Varsity Athletes

Written by Naza Yammine

Thumbnail Photo by Alex Motoc on Unsplash

There has been a consistent debate surrounding the subject of paying student-athletes for competing and training at university. In order to properly form an opinion surrounding this subject, let’s take a deeper look at why these athletes would need this monetary compensation, what they are already offered financially, and what compensation would mean.

College and athletic administrators may side with the argument that varsity athletes should not be paid. The reasoning behind this defence varies. The president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Mark Emmeret has stated that college athletes should not be paid considering they are not employees, rather they are students playing against students and that compensation is not their purpose behind playing. Others argue that it is unfair to pay varsity athletes as they should be treated and undergo the same experiences as a typical, everyday student. While these points are valid, we must see the perspective of these athletes and understand their experiences.

Photo by Alice Pasqual on Unsplash

As young adults make the decision to enroll in university, college, or any form of higher education, the financial burden felt is nearly universal – given the high costs of tuition, living expenses, and textbooks. Varsity athletes are often left out of this conversation due to the assumption that they have full ride scholarships to the university of their dreams, and therefore do not relate to the struggles of the average student. Despite this popular belief, the financial load may be heavier for varsity athletes - certainly more than non-athletes may expect. In 2011, a study published by the National College Players Association (NCPA) showed that a large percentage of student athletes in the United States on full scholarships (85% of athletes living on campus and 86% living off campus) are living below the federal poverty line. In addition, this same study showed how misleading the term “full scholarship” is: the average annual scholarship is only $3,222.  On a more national scale, opportunities for bursaries are available, specifically for USport athletes, however full scholarships tailored for athletes are not. With the long hours of training on top of studying, it is nearly impossible to find a job that can accomodate their busy schedule and satisfy their monetary needs. This often leaves varsity athletes in a financial funk.

If athletes are lucky enough to score a bursary or scholarship that is able to cover their tuition, there are still many other costs to consider, such as rent and food. Even if an athlete holds a scholarship, there is no guarantee that they will keep it. Full scholarships are usually only guaranteed a year at a time, depending on the province (or state in the US) and university, and therefore injuries or other health issues may jeopardize its renewal. The likelihood of a scholarship-losing injury is likely, as in a 2009-2010 CDC report, it was found that more than 210,000 injuries are sustained by NCAA athletes each year. Considering their busy schedules, keeping a consistent GPA is difficult for student athletes, and with many scholarships dependent on academic standing, the stress of maintaining scholarships continues to haunt them. Burdens and struggles aside, varsity athletes deserve to be paid for their hard work, given the money they bring to their institutions. In 2019, the NCAA reported $18.9 billion in total athletic revenue in the US via ticket sales, broadcast rights, and NCAA and conference distributions, among other sources. This monetary gain finances various paid positions in the world of varsity sports such as administration, directors, coaches, marketing, and media. Ironically, the people working the hardest, the athletes, are the only ones not receiving a paycheque.

Compensating student athletes has positive results beyond finances. Being paid would encourage them to stay in college and earn a degree, considering they don’t need to leave and become professionals to be paid for their sport. Countless athletes have dropped out of school to pursue their dreams, including MLB player Bryce Harper and former NBA player Brandon Jennings. If athletes choose to stay in college, they will remain employable after the end of their athletic career as well as acquire many skills that academic work has to offer, which would ensure a stable future beyond the sports world. In addition, institutions would be able to keep their top players on their teams for longer, which is great for their image and level of competition, which would allow the institutions to secure higher revenue in the long run.

On a national level, student-athletes in Canada are at more of a disadvantage than those in the United States. In 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation that would allow athletes in Californian colleges to start earning compensation for the use of their likeness, sign endorsement deals, and hire agents to represent them. In addition, the US has more scholarship opportunities available, and although this is partially due to the fact that the US has higher tuition fees than Canada ( $28,000 CAD annually on average compared to $6,000-$25,000 CAD in Canada), this does not justify Canada's lack of financial opportunities. As previously stated, USport, the national sport governing body for university sports in Canada, does not offer full scholarships and all the bursaries they do offer are heavily reliant on academic standing.

Photo by SMU Huskies

There is also a lack of media coverage for varsity-level sports in Canada, which results in less of a chance of getting paid. Recently, CBC and U Sports stated that they would partner to cover men and women’s basketball and hockey championships after they covered the Vanier Cup – the Canadian University Football National Championship games. Although CBC has helped take a great step forward in media coverage for Canadian varsity athletes, there has yet to be a major media channel that has fully invested in U Sports, and therefore, there is still limited varsity sports coverage. A larger investment would mean an increase in the potential for revenue growth, and therefore a system where student-athletes are more likely to be paid.

Of course, even though the system has many flaws, there are still many short-term solutions. If you’re a Saint Mary’s student-athlete and you are looking for an opportunity to receive some financial support, check out funding opportunities from the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Associates (CCAA), or Atlantic University Sports (AUS) for the SMU Huskies specifically. These associations oversee university athletics and offer scholarships to those who qualify. For the Atlantic area specifically, the James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award provides $500 for nominees and $1000 for winners. The most recent SMU recipient was David Chant, on the Huskies hockey team, back in 2006. Until athletes are properly compensated, scholarships and bursaries are the way to go. 

Paying student-athletes not only encourages them to continue playing; it also makes them feel appreciated for their hard work, reduces the need for loans, and eliminates the additional stress of employment. Money that is already being funnelled to varsity sports teams should be reallocated towards athletes fairly, and this process can be streamlined if media coverage is increased on a national level. Compensation for competition is a must.