By: Taylor Williams, Riley Bailey Rachel Franco, Dolphin Davis, and Trey Smith.

 Athletes should be given an additional salary on top of their tuition.  A big percentage of the money flow of the college comes from the athletes.  With 15 hours a week put into school on top of, 5 hours a day put into practice there is no time for college athletes to work.

 Other College students would say the tuition bill is already paid, so why give the athletes more money.  Academics bring in money from the state with their intelligence.  Athletes can work on the weekends.

 All the time put into the sport and the athletes have to put gas in their cars, feed themselves, and still find money to survive.  Academics push their minds but not their bodies which effects their health.  Athletes weekends consist of studying, meetings, and games.

 They get $ 2,000 dollars a semester.  If they live on campus they roughly pay 2-3 thousand dollars.  They normally have to pay for their books and supplies for school.  The school pays for shoes and uniforms but anything extra comes out of their own pocket.  They practice 3 to 5 hours a day.

 Football players receive $1200 a semester that goes towards room and board.  Football players at least pay $ 2000 dollars a semester.  Football players have to pay for their under armor which can run them from 40 to 100 dollars.  Many go to school 15 hours a week and practice 5 to 6 hours a week.

 UCO Wrestlers receive $2400 which is pretty good, but they still have to come up with money for housing and books.  Books can cost anywhere from $400 to $800

 They only get UCO name.  UCO does not pay for anything, most of their money comes from sponsors.  Sponsors pay for the equipment but the hockey team pays for school, room and board and any other supplies they need during the year.  Hockey players normally pay 3 to 5 thousand dollars out of their own pockets.

 Cheerleading is known to be one of the most expensive sports. Due to uniforms, camp, competitions, cheer supplies, and practice facilities.  UCO Cheerleaders receive $ a semester.  They pay out of pocket about $  We are required to attend a national competition

 Baseball players at UCO receive $1000 dollars a semester.  Baseball players that live on campus normally pay 2-3 thousand dollars a semester.  They pay for their shoes and gloves which runs around 300 dollars.  Many go to school for 15 hours a week and then practice at least 3 to 5 hours a day.

 Paying players what they are worth would end the charade and acknowledge that big-time college football and basketball have nothing to do with academics.  Athletes have a lot of trouble keeping their grades up and playing sports, so they should be paid to play and keep their grades up.  The message to athletes in college is Do not Study, just Practice. Practice. Practice.  Institutes of higher learning are in the entertainment business.

 Thrills and chills come from watching great athletes play their hearts out in front of spectators.  Coaches of successful teams become millionaires.  The NCAA makes money from their work horses… ATHLETES!  Big time athletes are not aloud to profit from their achievements. If they do, the price is expulsion.

 The pressure of big time sports makes it hard to find time for studying and not every high school sports star has brains for college.  College sports teams do not have to pay entertainment tax on their profits because, it is considered educational.  Therefore, the institution is making money off of athletes and pocketing the wealth.

 Scholarships are like an employment contract for athletes: (So why would athletes not be paid for employment?)  NCAA has crafted a payment system that provides a relatively cheap and steady supply of blue-chip athletes for burgeoning business of collegiate sports and gives coaches the kind of control over them that employers have over employees.  Athletes are commercial entertainment for schools. Therefore they bring people and more money in.

 Athletes, many that play football and basketball produce much of the revenue that keeps entire athletic program afloat.  They keep fans in the seat and in front of T.V. sets so they should be paid a salary for bringing publicity in for the college.  Scholarship athletes should be able to endorse products, accept pay for speaking engagements, and get a cut of the profits universities make by marketing their images.

 Colleges should treat players as employees and pay them what they are worth.  Athletes produce millions for their schools in ticket sales, T.V., contracts, and pay outs for bowl games.  Yet, stars only get paid tuition, room, and board.  Universities use most the money. They generate to pay higher salaries to coaches and to build extravagant facilities to attract more stars.

 The reason college athletes should be paid is because they bring money into the university, they have no time for a job and they work hard representing our colors.