I decided to write a response article to Ekow N. Yankah's post: "Why NCAA Athletes Shouldn't Be Paid." While I enjoyed reading his perspective, I disagree with his statement that student-athletes should not be paid. Universities exploit the popularity of their student-athletes to promote their athletics programs, while student-athletes are unable to promote their own image. Student-athletes work hard day in and day out, almost as if they have a full-time job. This also makes for very limited time in the day for student athletes to get 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 practice. A football prodigy will choose the school that is best for him, regardless of whether he receives a higher offer. For example, if the football prodigy could choose to attend a school where they had a better business program because he wanted a backup plan in case he didn't get drafted or something unfortunate happened to end his football career, would choose that school over a school that had a larger amount but didn't have a business program like the other school. In my opinion, paying student-athletes in the sports they earn the most will encourage them to do better in the classroom. There is an uncertain future for college athletes, very few reach the professional level and these student-athletes are sacrificing their time and bodies to achieve this goal. College students are excited to make the leap to becoming professional athletes because graduation rates for college athletes are not very encouraging. Without extra money for these student-athletes, they may also turn to quick (usually illegal) methods to earn money, such as selling drugs. So paying student-athletes could be one way to keep them eligible and safe. In conclusion, I think that student-athletes should be paid to accumulate income for their universities, for the amount of time they dedicate to their sports, and by paying student-athletes, this could increase their motivation to achieve academic success and keep them away from unwanted activities. The commitment of the student-athletes should be recognized because they have dedicated their utmost effort and countless hours of their time to best represent their universities