Should student athletes be compensated for playing sports at the collegiate level? Or is the funding that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) provides through programs that directly support the educational, financial, health and safety needs of student athletes sufficient? Peter Ohr of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently stated, "Northwestern University football players often work many more hours than the players devote to their studies, effectively making them athletes first and students second." Additionally, the NLRB granted Northwest University football players the right to unionize in March of 2014. While this is a breakthrough regarding the controversial topic, it may take numerous years and numerous legal battles for any changes. This article will address why I believe college athletes should not be paid and provide economic analysis to support this notion. One of the main reasons why college athletes should not be paid is that most college sports programs are not profitable. To illustrate, USA Today determined that in 2011-12, athletic programs at only 23 of 228 Division I public schools produced sufficient money from media rights deals, ticket sales, donations and other sources (excluding grants from the institutional or government support or student fees). to cover their expenses (Berkowitz, Upton, Brady, 2013). Most of the 23 schools that generated enough to turn a profit were those that belong to some of the “core conferences” of collegiate athletics. For example, Texas University, which generated $25,025,405 in profits in 2011-2012, and Ohio State University, which generated $17,623,645 in profits (Berkowitz, Upton, Brady, 2013). Additionally, since most athletic programs are...... middle of paper ......Street Journal, 2014). I know scholarships don't cover all living expenses and don't include money for things like travel home, but paying them a stipend is not the solution to the problem. John Calipari, head coach of Kentucky Wildcat basketball, suggests, “an additional scholarship, that a $3,000 to $5,000 stipend would help athletes defray the full cost of attendance. And it should be noted that bearing the full cost of attendance and paying athletes well-rounded are two completely different things” (CollegeBasketballTalk, 2014). I think Calipari's suggestion is a great idea and a stipend would be greatly appreciated by college athletes and their families. In summary, the battle over whether or not to pay college athletes will continue for many years to come and could eventually result in a complete overhaul of the collegiate athletic system we know today..