Coach Mike Krzyzewski and his players at Duke University won the NCAA championship last year. They received complements, a bigger fan base, money to their basketball program, another banner to hang up in their gym and championship rings for this accomplishment.

Some people think college athletes should get paid to play and some don’t. Personally, I do not think they should get paid. I think if someone is given the chance to play the sport he or she loves, exposure and an education, he or she shouldn’t have to get paid to play. There are so many things to think about before even considering paying college athletes.

Most athletes are offered Division I and Division II scholarships to play the sport they participate in. Some are even offered full ride scholarships because that university or college wants them that bad. If an athlete is offered that, there’s no need for them to get paid to play. That is already like getting paid. The scholarship or full ride is basically giving them money to come and play. Some kids that play sports aren’t as fortunate as others. For example, inner city kids trying to make it out and do the best for themselves need the scholarship, unlike someone that could just be a walk-on and has more opportunities.

But if college athletes were to get paid, would guys get paid more than women? If you think about it, NBA players get paid more than WNBA players. There’s always that possibility. There could be problems with starters getting more money than players that sit on the bench. What about managers? They are on the team also. They help out with the program as well. It wouldn’t be fair to them if they didn’t get paid.

Now, where would all this money come from? You know colleges have money, but if they are already handing out scholarships, they won’t have as much to spread out to players. It would most likely be one of the things everyone would be taxed for. I would be furious if I got taxed for that.

Athletes could easily earn money to play the sport if they are good enough. Kids that play college basketball could play for one year and go into the draft as a freshman and earn money that way.

The NCAA basketball tournaments, or “March Madness,” have become a huge business. The NCAA as a whole makes 6 billion annually. All that money is from buying tickets, merchandise and other events they hold. Nevertheless, the NCAA currently prohibits paying athletes. The NCAA thinks if they pay athletes, it will ruin college sports, and I couldn’t agree more.