I decided to write a response article to Ekow N. Yankah's article: "Why NCAA Athletes Should Not Be Paid." While I enjoyed reading his perspective, I disagree with his statement that student-athletes should not be paid. Universities use the popularity of their student-athletes to promote their athletic program, while student-athletes are unable to promote their own image. Student-athletes work hard day in and day out, as if they had a full-time job. Which also means there is very limited time during the day for student-athletes to find a real job to pay for the extra expenses they need. Additionally, most of the time, coaches do not allow student-athletes to work, due to their schedules conflicting with practices. A football prodigy will choose the school that's the best fit for him, even if he gets a higher offer. For example, if the football prodigy had the choice of going to a school where he had a better business program because he wanted a backup plan in case he went undrafted or something unfortunate happened. would end his football career, he would choose this school. school instead of a school that had a higher amount but did not have a business program like the other school. In my opinion, paying student-athletes in the highest paying sports will encourage them to do better in the classroom. The future of college athletes is uncertain, very few reach the professional level and these student-athletes sacrifice their time and bodies to achieve this goal. Students in the first class want to take the leap to become professional athletes because the graduation rates for college athletes are not very encouraging. Without extra money for these student-athletes, they may also turn to quick (usually illegal) ways to make money, such as selling drugs. Paying student-athletes could therefore be a way to guarantee the eligibility and safety of these athletes. In conclusion, I believe that student-athletes should be paid to accumulate revenue for their universities, for the time they dedicate to their sports, and by compensating student-athletes it can increase their motivation to achieve academic success and keep them away from unsolicited activities. The efforts of student-athletes should be recognized as they gave their best and countless hours of their time to best represent their university.