Following the dramatic conclusion of the Texas A&M vs. Alabama game Saturday, football shouldn't be the only thing discussed. The most polarizing figure in college football, Johnny Manziel, has sparked a controversy that hits the NCAA at its core; whether the myth of amateurism among division-one football players should be hidden, or acknowledged.
The "Johnny Football" saga began last November when Texas A&M went into Tuscaloosa and upset the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide 29-4. The win propelled Manziel to Heisman Trophy status and the loss did little to deter Alabama from winning the national title.
Fast forward to this summer when Manziel's name came up several times for a series of unsavory behaviors. Perhaps the most egregious activity, that included getting kicked out of the Manning Passing academy and pleading guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges, was an allegation that Manziel had been paid for autographed memorabilia. It was not just pocket cash. Although the actual price was not released, ESPN's Outside the Lines reported it was thousands of dollars.
The NCAA embarked on an investigation on Manziel and found him guilty. The governing body of college athletics came down swiftly and severely on Manziel, suspending him for a whopping thirty minutes of A&M's season opener against lowly Rice. I feel this minuscule punishment will do little to deter Manziel or any other player from taking money for merchandise in the future.
Although there are many other instances just like this, the high profile nature of a Heisman Trophy winner has brought a lot of media attention. With Manziel back in the spotlight for football, again, the question arises: Should college athletes be paid? In its simplest form, my answer is yes.
Many of these student athletes, with some exceptions, come from poor backgrounds. In addition, many division I scholarships are valued at over $100,000. This includes education, room and board. However, if these players do not have any extra money, it can be hard to get the gas required to drive to practice.
Because of this, I believe that college athletes should be given a small salary. It doesn't need to be large enough to buy luxury cars or designer brand clothes, but enough to purchase the necessities. The salary should be given weekly to deter the misuse of funds.
This money should only be paid to division I college athletes with a professional level of theirsport above them. This includes sports such as football, baseball, basketball, golf and track and field. For other sports and divisions II and III, the athletes are students first. They're going to college for an education and playing a sport on the side with no chance of earning a living playing that sport.
There should be strict rules as to what can and cannot be bought with severe sanctions that can be brought down on rule breakers. These rules need to be fairly and uniformly enforced by a group of people appointed by the NCAA to do just that. This is a very crucial point to my argument because over the years, the NCAA has been accused of not being consistent with its punishments, hence the weak suspension of Manziel.
Realistically, I don't see this system or one like it being put in place anytime soon. However, if in the future more cases like this arise, and they have to continuously suspend players, a system like this may be a reasonable compromise that benefits both the players and the NCAA.
- Lynn is a freshman from St. Petersburg, Fla. whose major is undecided.