Last modified on March 27, 2023. How do you think stakeholders, such as fans, sponsors, tournament organizers, politicians and athletes, should engage with the fight for equal pay in womens sports, if at all? The National Basketball Association (N.B.A. If it is closed by the federation in negotiations with both teams, the change could funnel millions of dollars to a new generation of womens national team players. 23, 2023. With ticket pricesgradually rising, not to mention merchandise price tags, sports fans might feel resentful toward funding overpaid athletes. Plus, making it to the pros takes years of hard work. Considering athletes spend time commuting to training and competition, female athletes are at 200 per cent greater risk of injuring their neck if even a minor car accident happens. In order for these players to gain respect, they need to have a more significant impact on the community. 3. of footballs highest-paid players, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, just signed a four-year contract for $134 million. Just one woman was ranked among the 100 highest-paid athletes in the . The compensation for professional athletes differs from traditional pay because, Matheson said, fans have limited choices compared to other industries - a phenomenon known as "superstar. However, players lived $778 below the federal poverty line and owed $3,624 in tuition. Women can't compete on the world stage The Aussie Sevens women's team swept the World Series tournament, making them hot favourites for gold at Rio 2016. 8, 2020, Steve Goldstein, Nine out of 10 New Jobs Are Going to Those with a College Degree, marketwatch.com, June 5, 2018, Gallup, A Study of NCAA Student-Athletes: Undergraduate Experiences and Post-College Outcomes, gallup.com, 2020, Greta Anderson, Study: College Athletes Have Better Academic, Life Outcomes, insiderhighered.com, June 24, 2020, Griffin Connolly, Wealth distribution is bad except when it comes to college athletes' money, top Republican senator suggests, theindependent.co.uk, Sep. 15, 2020, B. David Ridpath, A Path Forward for Reforming College Sports, jamesgmartin.center, Jan. 15, 2020, Molly Hensley-Clancy, NCAA Vows to Improve Conditions at Womens Basketball Tournament, as Outcry Continues, washingtonpost.com, Mar. Physical injury can leave professional athletes handicapped or disabled for the rest of their lives; NFL players who experiencemultiple concussionscansuffer from progressive degenerative diseasethat causes dementia and depression. Professional athletes are making too much money in a society where salaries and wages are traditionally based on the value of one's work. Does it make any sense that someone who throws a football for a living is paid more than 700 times as much as someone who helps save peoples lives, or that swinging a bat gets you nearly 650 times as much as educating kids? The rest of it gets spread out to the coach, who makes $8 million a year, to the assistant coaches, who make as much as a half-million dollars a year. The rising gap between the average Americans income and a professional athletes income might pose a serious threat to sports. Of the 18,816 male basketball players, 4,181 are draft-eligible and 60 will be drafted, but only 52 will go pro, or a 1.2% chance a college basketball player will play professionally. Panel Recommends," nytimes.com, June 28, 2021, Alan Blinder, "College Athletes May Earn Money from Their Fame, N.C.A.A. What message do you think U.S. Soccer is sending with this agreement, which Mr. Das writes is a tacit admission that compensation for the mens and womens teams had been unequal for years? That adds up to about $400,000 a year. [1] As of Mar. Among the 10 highest-paid female athletes in 2018, nine were tennis players. And pros in less popular sports make even less than that. [47], By Jan. 2022, without a clear NIL structure from the NCAA, some schools were questioning how to navigate deals for players or whole teams without violating NCAA policy. Athletes are paid huge sums of money to play sports. However, do these athletes really deserve all that money? Things improve when men and . 2016: Five USWNT players filed a wage-discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Our signature Pro/Con articles on various big debates. Compare those wages withthe national average salary fora firefighter: about $45,000 a year. World's top-ranked female tennis player Simona Halep's off-court earnings came in at $1.5m last year, dwarfed by Roger Federer, currently men's number two, who pocketed $58m. Next, some MLB players will earn more in one game than the average American household makes in 10 years. By far the most ubiquitous solution is paying college athletes. Moreover, in my mind, if these athletes want to continue to be rewarded with the fame and fortune that is unfairly bestowed upon them, they must prove to the world that they are going to be positive role models for future athletes, and those who admire them. You are being redirecting to Scholastic's authentication page For more support materials,visit our Help Center. Players salaries are simply their share of all the cash these hugely successful businesses bring in. Obviously, what these individuals must not be aware of is the most important man in our nation, the president, who makes critical decisions that affect the entire world every day, only makes $400,000 a year. In the same year, DeWanna Bonner, the highest-paid WNBA player, was eligible for a base salary of $127,500, a difference of almost 200%. Theres no question that professional athletes are paid too much. [46], The University of North Carolina became the first school to organize group licensing deals for student athletes in July 2021. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. They shouldn't have to become Maxim models to prove their worth. The NCAA keeps players in poverty and denied them ways to earn money, while making millions on their performance. That changed with a new community bargaining agreement, reached in January of 2020, which agreed to a 50-50 split and brought WNBA players in line with their male counterparts. One of the main reasons the league may just get away with that is that it's the off-season right now, meaning franchises aren't missing out on lucrative games. The athletes leave their families, so they can go to their work, will you do that. While these may seem huge, so are the deductions from them. Anyone can read what you share. Forbesreleased its annual look at the worldshighest-paid athletesthis month, and the top 100 exemplified the stark contrast in pay between professional male and female athletes. The NBA requires players to be at least 19 and a year out of high school, while the NFL requires players to be three years out of high school. The WNBA did recently add a multi-year partnership with CBS Sports Network to air 40 games next season, and the new pact is in addition to the leagues existing deal with ESPN. Opponents to equal pay for women cite a variety of reasons why male athletes are paid more than women, including viewership, play style, strength, revenue and more. When basketball player Stephen Curry signed a new contract with the Golden State Warriors in 2017,jaws dropped at his salary: a whopping $201million over five years. In today's society, one should be paid according to. [40], Paying players would also limit the literal and figurative playing fields to elite universities with large budgets. The whole system that allows professional athletes to just swim around in money is simply ridiculous, and it needs to stop. Explain your answer. Firefighters are the next contributor to society. The ruling changed the broadcast regulations for college football. Judge Judy makes about $45 million per year. There is no guaranteed money. In recent years, players, teams and even athletes in other sports ice hockey Olympic gold medalists, Canadian soccer pros and W.N.B.A. While the highest paid athletes draw more attention, the truth is thatmost athletes are fairly paid. Explain your answer(s). Consider the pro position of the National College Players Association that paying college athletes is a civil rights issue. Please enter a valid number of votes for one class to proceed. Up until 2020, the WNBA received 20% of their leagues revenues. Rules," nytimes.com, June 30, 2021, Becky Sullivan, "UNC Becomes the First School to Organize Group Endorsement Deals for Its Players," npr.org, July 21, 2021, Josh Moody, "Lack of Clear-Cut NCAA Rules Creates Confusion about NIL," insidehighered.com, Jan. 4, 2022, John I. Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick, "College Sports Are a Treasure. Every year since the Womens National Basketball Associations inaugural season in 1997, the highest-paid womens basketball player has earned less than the lowest-paid National Basketball Association player. This supports the notion that some athletes get too caught up with how much they are earning and might begin to lose focus of why they wanted to play in the first place. Male athletes receive more money through endorsements and personal branding initiatives, further widening the sports pay gap. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. The truth is, some professional athletes make huge salaries because millions of people are happy to pay money to see those players make the amazing catches and breathtaking plays we love to watch. Subscribers receive access to the website and print magazine. This reason is why the athletes should get high salaries, because they travel far, leave their families and risk their life. List two to three ways. Explain your answer(s). We are told female athletes are paid less than men because they generate less money. How much do you think the comparative revenue of mens and womens teams matters in determining pay? Perhaps more notable is U.S. Soccers pledge to equalize pay between the mens and womens national teams in all competitions, including the World Cup, in the teams next collective bargaining agreements. In U.S. Agents can be advocates for fairer wages and better benefits. We would pay athletes because when President Theodore Roosevelt helped create the NCAA in 1906, he had no idea what it would grow into. Professional sports is a money-earning business. players. Dont Turn Them Into the Minor Leagues.," nytimes.com, Mar. Some of it comes from fans who shell out big bucks for costly game tickets and hugely overpriced snacks at stadiums and arenas, and for hoodies and hats with their favorite teams logo. 2021, the NCAA was composed of [n]early half a million college athletes [who] make up the 19,886 teams that send more than 57,661 participants to compete each year in the NCAAs 90 championships in 24 sports across 3 divisions. [1] [2], The NCAA is seemingly the final authority to decide whether college athletes should be paid to play college sports. Is MMA any more dangerous than boxing or other contact sports? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Women were. 2. He is on a six-year $68 million contract, with $31 million guaranteed. While compensation for women has improved over the past decade, the gap still extends to even the world's highest-paid players. Team sport athletes represent 82% ofForbes highest-paid athletes list. SSI is devoted to the development of a better understanding of the role of amateur and professional sports in the economy and . Professional sports revenues are rapidly increasing because of the seemingly insatiable appetites for unique TV programs. Source: Forbes (men 2010, 2019; women 2010, 2019). Lower salaries wouldnt necessarily lead to lower ticket and hot dog prices for fans who go to the games. entertainment, news presenter | 4.8K views, 28 likes, 13 loves, 80 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from GBN Grenada Broadcasting Network: GBN News 28th April 2023 Anchor: Kenroy Baptiste. If Alex Rodriguez earns the same amount of money as it would take tofeed the nation's poor for a year, he cant cheat and take steroids. Top athletes can do things that mere mortals can't. Most have paid a heavy personal cost to get there. But those arguments fail when . In recent years,corporate culturehas creeped into some sports leagues. What puzzles me even more, is how after holding out for weeks, and sometimes months, the owners give in and pay them what they don't deserve. There is still quite a ways to go to close this gap, but the NWSL is making changes to offer more competitive compensation. Major League Soccer played their first game in 1996, after the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup. With a new decade ahead, we are taking a look back at how athlete compensation changed over the past ten years, and the obvious trends of wage equality in sports. And sport marketers can attract more fans to a league or player, increasing revenue and support. In my opinion, no. How are professional athletes not overpaid? How should the NCAA (or another governing body) balance college athletes sport, educational, and financial interests? Thats about $40million a yearone of the highest annual salaries in team sports. Why do athletes deserve high salaries? Men's sports generate higher revenue, so male athletes are paid higher salaries. This week, the United States Soccer Federation pledged to equalize pay for its mens and womens national teams as part of a settlement that included a $24 million payment to a group of players for the womens team who had sued the organization for gender discrimination. Pro. 7, 2018, Steve Berkowitz, NCAA President Mark Emmert Credited with $2.7 Million in Total Pay for 2018 Calendar Year, usatoday.com, June 2, 2020, USA Today, NCAA Salaries, usatoday.com, Nov. 17, 2020, Ian McMahan, Athletes Are Paying the Physical Price of Playing College Sports, si.com, Oct. 31, 2017, Azmatullah Hussaini and Jules Lipoff, Op-Ed: COVID-19 Is Making the NCAAs Exploitation of Student-Athletes Even More Obvious, latimes.com, June 23, 2020, Meghan Walsh, 'I Trusted 'Em': When NCAA Schools Abandon Their Injured Athletes, theatlantic.com, May 1, 2013, Jon Solomon, The History Behind the Debate over Paying NCAA Athletes, aspeninstitute.org, Apr. The existence of world tournaments and professional leagues highlight the reason why female athletes should be paid less than their male counterparts. Under the terms of the agreement, the women a group of several dozen current and former players that includes some of the worlds most popular and decorated athletes will share $24 million in payments from U.S. Soccer. In fact, each basket Kobe Bryant scores earns him equivalent to the average classroom teachers yearly salary. [29] [30], Further, most college programs do not generate the income needed to run their athletic programs, much less pay athletes. While MLS and the NWSL have only been around for a few decades, the United States has fielded national soccer teams in World Cups since 1930 (US Mens National Team) and 1991 (US Womens National Team). Tiger Woods, along with many other professional athletes, certainly think so. Want more writing prompts? (HISTORIC) See how different sides see the same key events in ongoing conflicts. The main problem is the huge amount of money involved in professional sports. Members of the United States womens soccer team at the Tokyo Olympics. Is it all about defense or does winning have more to do with offense? Will demographic shifts change that? Consent is needed to contact you, but is not a requirement to register or enroll. An NHL Blackhawks player earned over 124 million dollars in 13 years.Why should athletes get paid so much to play a game? In 2019, 14 million people watched the U.S. Womens National Soccer team defeat the Netherlands to win the FIFA Womens World Cup10.5 million more viewers than their 2001 finals appearance. Stacy Revere/Getty Images (Aaron Rodgers); Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images (Mike Trout); Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images (Stephen Curry), Big earners: Aaron Rodgers, Mike Trout, and Stephen Curry. The WNBA generates roughly $25 million. If so, theyll stop paying to watch or support professional sports teams, leaving the industry in the lurch. While the pay disparity didnt change, there is one aspect of the Forbes top-ten list that did. The same goes for the military. But its important to remember that those athletes are an essential part of enormously profitable companies. "Paying College Athletes Top 3 Pros and Cons." Sport Management Blog: Olivia Franks 4 Tips for Success, Male vs Female Professional Sports Salary Comparison, 2010 Mens World Cup: $420 million, $30 million winners share, 2011 Womens World Cup: $5.8 million, $1 millions winners share, 2018 Mens World Cup: $400 million, $38 million, 2019 Womens World Cup: $30 million, $4 million winners share. When the WNBA players' union opted out of its collective bargaining agreement in November, Los Angeles Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike, the president of the union, wrote for The Players' Tribune: This is not purely about salaries. Finally, what really puzzles me, is how athletes get upset when athletes say that millions of dollars won't be able to support him and his family, and that they need more.
why should professional athletes be paid less