What is the Role of College Athletics, and Should Student-Athletes be Paid?

In August, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced it would allow more autonomy for colleges and universities regarding the ways in which they support student-athletes. This decision will likely engender changes to financial aid, cost-of-living stipends, and food allowances for those who participate in NCAA Division I athletics, particularly in the largest five conferences in the United States.

In the midst of this decision, former student-athletes at Northwestern University and UCLA have petitioned for compensation for their services as athletes and the use of their images. Therefore, the discussion over the role of college athletics and whether student-athletes should be paid is one that is timely and highly contentious.

At Valparaiso University, we take pride in our status as an NCAA Division I higher education institution, the only Division I institution in Northwest Indiana. As such, we stand with those who are opposed to the continuing professionalization of college athletes and urge other institutions to join us. At Valpo, we hold firmly to the collegiate model of athletics, and we uphold the spirit of amateur sports and the role that participation in athletics can play in enriching the educational experience for all.

The collegiate model is one that promotes education above all else. And under federal law, student athletes are not employees. Students attend college to receive an education, both in and out of the classroom, and college athletics plays a vital role in the educational experience for many, both student-athletes and non student- athletes alike. At Valparaiso University, we consider college athletics to be an activity that stands in support of the University’s mission to prepare students to lead and serve in both church and society; a co-curricular, values-based activity, rather than an income-generating venture.

College athletics promotes school spirit and unity, which allows students to take pride in and feel connected to the higher educational endeavor. They also provide one route for historically underrepresented individuals to receive an education at an affordable cost. Therefore, it is important that we protect and preserve the resources that ensure these opportunities.

In addition, students who participate as student-athletes glean critical life lessons they will apply as leaders in their professions and communities. Student-athletes learn valuable, practical skills such as sportsmanship, time management, verbal communication with adults and peers, and interaction and coordination in diverse groups. Their athletic endeavors enrich and augment the education they receive inside the classroom.

Because of these crucial life lessons, college athletes have added potential to become highly successful after graduation. In fact, Harvard Business Review recently reported that more than half of the top female executives throughout the world are former college athletes, and three out of every four say that previous athletes make better professionals.

If student-athletes become compensated university employees, their fundamental relationship with the university will shift, and their role as students will be diminished. Consequently, this will provide a disservice to them and their ability to advance as leaders in their post-college careers.

As higher education institutions, we should make certain that each and every one of our students receives the best possible education so that they are prepared for life after college. The very best way to support our student-athletes is to keep them healthy, provide them educational tools and resources, protect their time on and off the court, and ensure that they receive the most exceptional education we can offer.

At Valparaiso University, our Athletics mission to prepare students to lead and serve through exceptional experiences in athletics stands in support of the University’s overall mission. This mission is supported by the core values of student well-being, character and integrity, stewardship, and respect. We are proud members of the Horizon League, a group of universities committed to the league’s core values, which show unswerving support for student-athletes’ intellectual, physical, and emotional development while simultaneously valuing and nurturing fiscal and physical resources. It is our duty as higher education leaders of individual institutions and like-minded conferences to hold steadfast to these values. Doing otherwise would threaten the relationship between education and athletics, which is meant to be a co-curricular, values-based endeavor.