UB student sound off: Should student-athletes be paid?

On Aug. 8, a federal court in Oakland, California passed a law that could drastically alter the landscapes of college athletics. The court ruled that student-athletes could capitalize on the revenue that athletes bring back into the school.

The ruling does not affect the Mid-American Conference, UB’s conference, as only the Power Five Conferences are a part of this rule. Nonetheless, the change enhances a common debate among networks like ESPN: Should student-athletes be compensated?

We asked students on campus for their opinion on the issue.

Tommy Froehlich, a freshman mechanical engineering major

“The colleges make a lot of money off of the student athletes. It’s not fair to the players that they will not get any money from what the schools profit.”

Nicole Irons, a graduate design and interactive communications major

“The best compromise that can be given is scholarships. That would help with the financial side of it. However, that’s how I see them being paid is by the scholarships that they would receive.”

Andrew Cole-Goins, a sophomore speech and hearing sciences

“I never really thought about it. I feel like it makes sense in some standpoints depending on what background you come from. But at the same time, you open up a can of worms when you talk about the purpose of college athletics. So, it can go either way but I don’t have a full standpoint on it yet.”

Mike Clark, a sophomore undecided major

“I do believe student athletes should be paid in some sort of way. They’re chosen to play a sport and they’re going to a certain school to play for, they can be bringing in a lot of money for the universities. They should be compensated for more than room and board.”

Justin Hamlet, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major

“They should be paid. Schools around the country, not just Buffalo, are making millions of dollars off of the athletes. If not money, they should be getting something. With all of the responsibilities of being an athlete, there is no time for them to get a job or make money on their own.”

Brandon Charletta, a sophomore actuarial science major

“Student-athletes should not be paid. They are choosing to play a sport and many people in this school are able to play sports. One person can just declare themselves an athlete and will get paid thousands and thousands of dollars just to become this paradigm of a student-athlete. Anyone can do it.”

Timothy Korff, a sophomore mechanical and aerospace engineering major

“I know the athletes have more on their plates, but in the end, their plan is to become an athlete. Let’s say you are an athlete here at UB trying to make the NFL. I have a friend on the football team and he’s an engineering major as well. When I asked him if he would rather prefer football or school, he said he’d rather prefer his engineering major. [He] said he has a better chance of pursing something in the field of engineering than the small chance of making it to the NFL.”

Nicholas Makarowsky, a freshman engineering major

“They should not be paid. They’re getting free tuition for full scholarships or partial scholarship that pays for a lot of things. They get free athletic gear, tutors and perks that normal students would not get.