advertisement

SSN on Facebook SSN on Twitter SSN on YouTube RSS Feed

5 Comments
Politics

Should Student Athletes Be Paid? Al Lawson Thinks So

April 6, 2019 - 8:00am

With the Final Four ready to battle for the NCAA basketball championship, a congressman from Florida is addressing the plight of unpaid student athletes.

U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Fla., hosted a panel discussion and screened a documentary on Capitol Hill this week as he turned his attention to “the plight of unpaid student-athletes in a multi-billion-dollar athletic enterprise.”

“As we head down the final stretch to the NCAA Championship, I wanted to highlight some of my concerns about the multi-billion industry of college athletics and their stream of unpaid student labor, ” said Lawson who played and coached college basketball. “I think it is extremely vital, at this time, to have this conversation and discuss the policy implications and the disservice to student-athletes who can’t financially benefit from their labor.”

Al Lawson
Al Lawson
Around 200 people attended Lawson’s panel discussion which included  Maverick Carter, the CEO of SpringHill Entertainment and Athlete Empowerment Company Uninterupted;  the directors and producers of the “Student Athlete” documentary that was screened; Natasha Cloud, who plays for the Washington Mystics in the WNBA; and Dr. Robert Turner, a former NFL player and author.

“Student Athlete is about telling the important story of college athletes and the struggles and sacrifices they make with little to show for it,” Carter said. “We’re proud that our film can help turn this long-time conversation in to real action.”

Also this week, Lawson brought out  the “NCAA Act” which “would eliminate the ‘one and done’ rule, provide medical coverage for sports-related injuries, and create an easier process for student athletes to gain work opportunities while in school.” The bill has a long way to go as Lawson has not reeled in any cosponsors on the House side and there is no companion bill over in the U.S. Senate. Lawson’s proposal was sent to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee on Tuesday. 

Comments

For the PERFECT way to pay college athletes, read the ABOUT page at http://www.PayCollegeAthletes.com

Absolutely not!

I do not think that student athletes should be "paid". However, I do believe that a stipend for their services to their school is long overdue. Per NCAA regulations, they are not allowed to work, many of them are below the poverty level in terms of background, and they generate millions of dollars for their schools and conferences. However, they are still students and amateurs and as a result a "salary" is not appropriate, but no kid in that situation should ever be w/o a basic subsidy to cover meager costs and services. Without it, the corruption and side deals will continue for kids that cannot meet their basic needs outside of food, school and shelter...

Along with C. Breeze comment, student athletes are paid, scholarship student athletes are paid by #1 and education, # 2 Sports training & medical care, #3. uniforms, #4. modes of travel / Hotel rooms for away games & meals. I have no problem with type of pay. CASH Payment for student athletes NO!!

"Paid student athletes" inevitably leads to "school & coach corruption" at MANY LEVELS of "school sports systems",.. as 'history' has already shown; the resulting investigations, prosecutions, and resulting lost reputations and careers (both current and prospective), make this proposal "a very dangerous game"!

Comments are now closed.

politics
advertisement
advertisement
Live streaming of WBOB Talk Radio, a Sunshine State News Radio Partner.

advertisement