College athletes generate millions of dollars for their schools each year, but are not allowed to be compensated beyond a scholarship because they are considered amateurs. College athletes are among the hardest working people in the nation, having to focus on both schoolwork and sports. Because athletics takes so much time, these student-athletes are always busy. College football and basketball are multi-billion dollar businesses. The NCAA doesn't want to pay athletes beyond scholarships, and it would be difficult to fit a new compensation program into their and universities' budgets. College athletes should be compensated in some way because they invest so much time and effort and generate huge amounts of revenue. Playing a sport in college is the equivalent of working a full-time job. There are rules that allow major college football coaches to require only 20 hours of player time each week. Studies show that these athletes double their hours per week during the season. Other sports claim to take the equivalent of a full-time work week. Some NCAA officials are concerned about the amount of time spent and that over 40 hours is inhumane. Most athletes compete and do whatever it takes to succeed, which is why they love dedicating so much time to sports. Many athletes also struggle in class because they don't have enough time to study. Student-athletes at Division I schools consider themselves athletes more than students. Less than 1% of college athletes actually make it professionally. This means that these kids should focus more on their education than athletics. In reality, these officials tolerate the time devoted to sports because it keeps many students...... middle of paper ......and who are not stars would benefit from it because they would not be bogged down with so many restrictions. Letting these athletes market themselves wouldn't hurt the NCAA or universities financially and would also help draw more attention to their athletics. The only fair compromise is to let these athletes earn money by branding themselves. It is undeniable that college athletes are exploited by universities and the NCAA to make money, so they should not have restrictions to prevent them from making money. These student-athletes work too hard, generate too much money, and sacrifice too much overall to receive nothing more than a scholarship. What is happening in college athletics is unfair and unconscionable. Universities don't need to create new budgets to pay athletes, but athletes should be able to market themselves to earn what they deserve.