Take a moment to imagine an athlete who is extremely talented, with dozens of top teams across the country eager to recruit them. These teams are willing to pay millions of dollars for these athletes to join their team. You might picture a top professional basketball, football or baseball player, but you would be mistaken. This situation commonly occurs in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and it has become  completely legal.

Revenue sharing refers to the funds that universities earn from their athletic departments, which can be used to pay athletes directly. Essentially, it’s just a fancy term for providing collegiate athletes with salaries. The House vs. NCAA lawsuit, settled on May 23, 2024, included three main parts, one of which was revenue sharing. According to Yahoo Sports, this concept permits schools to distribute more than $20 million annually to their athletes. College sports have essentially become professional sports, which is why revenue sharing should not be legal in collegiate athletics.

First, the athletes that these schools are paying substantial sums of money are often extremely young, with little to no experience in managing finances. Isn’t the purpose of college to learn valuable skills and acquire knowledge that will benefit your future life and career? These young athletes may choose schools based on who gives them the most money, rather than the school that provides the best resources and opportunities for their future. Considering the vast majority of collegiate athletes do not end up playing  professionally, it seems wildly irresponsible for universities to offer such large sums of free money. This approach could be a recipe for disaster.

Also, why do collegiate athletes need additional money? Every Division 1 school offers scholarships to athletes to play sports, which often save these athletes hundreds of thousands of dollars on tuition and living expenses. Additionally, with the legalization of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, these players profit from commercial opportunities linked to their universities. Yet some still argue that these athletes need even more money. The introduction of NIL and the transfer portal has led to college athletes seeing themselves as professionals, and before you know it, they receive salaries similar to those of professional athletes. 

And yes, I understand that many athletes choose colleges based on athletic resources and opportunities rather than education, and that is reasonable. However, isn’t a full-ride scholarship from any of the nation’s top universities just to play your favorite sport sufficient enough?

I strongly believe that the line between professional and collegiate sports is becoming increasingly blurred. With the introduction of revenue sharing, NIL and the transfer portal, the distinctions between professional and college sports is fading, and I worry that this is leading to the loss of the true nature of college sports.