• Would college sports be as appealing to fans if the players were not, in fact, amateurs ("student-athletes") but were paid professionals that universities hired?
• In other words, how much of the "amateur ideal" is part of the allure of college sports for fans?

References:

https://www.pbs.org/video/frontline-money-and-march-madness-1/

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/10/the-shame-of-college-sports/308643/

https://youtu.be/BuIpyyfTIGw

 

Agree or Disagree with my answer below? Explain;

 

1) While I do believe that college sports would still be entertaining to fans, I believe that some of the appeal would be lost and it would play as large of a role in the sports industry as it currently does. I know many people who favor college football over NFL for the sole reason of that the players care more. In the NFL, players are already paid and their only incentive is to just win for their city. In college however, these kids are playing for their lives, desperately trying to get noticed and drafted so they can reach that professional level and make a living. This is why people say college athletes give more effort, because they have more to lose and prove.

2) The amateur ideal is everything for college sports fans. While professionals are at the highest level of what they do, college athletics are the step below that level, and the only way to get there is to prove yourself. These amateurs are playing in order to get to the level where they can make a living, and if they don't, their entire athletic career could be in jeopardy.