Don’t forget the “athlete” in “student-athlete.”

College athletes should be compensated for the work, and room and board is

not enough.

The start of college football once again exposes the exploitative system in

place for college athletics, where coaches and administrators receive millions due to

the work of unpaid players, who essentially work almost full-time without pay. For

example, Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer is paid $24 million over four years,

while his players, who work many hours while risking debilitating injuries, get

nothing.

Opponents of paying athletes argue that a scholarship is sufficient

compensation, and that most universities cannot afford to pay all athletes.

But not all athletes get scholarships, and not all of those that do get full rides,

and affordability could be easily addressed with a simple solution: pay athletes

under the work-study program. This would make paying athletes feasible while also

compensating them for their work.