To Pay or not to Pay: The Dilemma with Student Athletes
Written by Theressa Jabbour
Header and Thumbnail photo by Robin Edqvist
Saint Mary’s University has a plethora of varsity sports with dedicated athletes. As outlined in the Huskies Student Athlete Handbook, their commitment to university sports involves many hours of training, travelling and competing, with the opportunity to learn about sportsmanship, teamwork, adversity, and developing mental and physical strengths. These athletes also attend classes full time, and are required to maintain a passing grade point average. Student athletes are the subjects of high expectations at all times, from both the academic and athletic departments at the university, and the level of commitment of student athletes to both their sport and education is high. They are expected to dedicate the same amount of time to both athletics and academics, as well as volunteer in community events while being role models for the younger generation. While this system moulds students into better athletes and people in general, it needs to be complemented with support for student athletes.
Photo of by SMU Huskies
Since 1988, U SPORT has recognised the Academic All-Canadians, defined as varsity student athletes who are enrolled full time and who have achieved an average of 80% or higher in the academic year. In 2023, 102 Academic All-Canadians were recognised by the Huskies Athletic Department, highlighting the academic commitment of Huskies varsity athletes who have to juggle multiple responsibilities during the academic year. Varsity athletes were also recently recognised at the 2023-24 Huskies Athletic Awards Night, celebrating the contribution of student athletes to the success of SMU varsity sports. The awardees included students from all athletic disciplines, amongst them recipients of U SPORTS, AUS and Huskies Team awards. Student athletes are clearly well recognised for their efforts throughout the academic year, but do they deserve more than just accolades?
While many student athletes may not plan on making a career out of their sport, the effort and engagement they put into their respective disciplines are reminiscent of that of professionals. Those who do have higher level leagues as their final goal can also be at risk of never achieving it due to incidents sustained during their university careers. There is always a risk in contact sports of incurring life-long, debilitating injuries, and varsity athletes should have the chance to be well supported at university should that occur. Student athletes, regardless of future plans, deserve support from their universities to succeed in both their education and sport, because education is equally as important as athletics. Some might argue that this support should take the form of paid salaries, but there are also other ways that student athletes can be supported and encouraged by their universities. Read on to discover the different viewpoints on this issue.
The Benefits of University Sports for Universities:
Varsity sports can be a consistent source of income for the university and the athletics department. According to the U SPORTS 2022/2023 Annual Report, the U SPORTS championships generated almost $20,000 in commercial sales from broadcasts. Although U SPORTS operates on a larger scale than individual universities, it is clear that varsity sports can create at least some revenue if managed correctly. Although the SMU Annual Financial Report does not reveal the revenue or expenses of varsity sports, the average price of a ticket for an SMU varsity game is $15 and concessions are often sold, with attendance numbers for sports games such as American football anywhere between half a thousand to in the thousands, according to the Huskies. Alumni presence is also strong in SMU athletics, and alumni donors are known to support the Huskies through donations to scholarship and bursary funds and student services. Homecoming 2023 saw over 2000 attendees celebrate Huskies sports during the weekend, many of them alumni. Opportunities such as these allow the university to generate some revenue from ticket sales, as well as capitalise on alumni interest in varsity sports.
Photo by Nick Pearce
Success in sports can also give the university national and international prominence, as well as help attract new students and student athletes. The student athletes play an active role in the university’s advertisement, yet are not compensated for it monetarily. It is an expectation of student athletes to represent the university in a positive manner and to uphold the university standards when in uniform, which helps spread a positive attitude towards the university in everyone they meet. Varsity sports also provide revenue to the university through merchandise sales, as students and family alike often enjoy representing their team, especially if it is victorious. While students often are not the direct beneficiaries of this revenue, scholarships, equipment and training facilities are a benefit that student athletes can enjoy.
Level of Popularity:
Photo by Eduardo Ibarra
The other side of the argument can be made in accordance with the popularity level of Canadian university sports. While American university sports, represented by the NCAA, receive a high amount of attention and popularity, Canadian universities are not quite at that level yet. Without that certain spotlight on Canadian university athletes, university athletics departments cannot entertain the idea of salaried student athletes. A few years ago, the NCAA adopted a policy that allows university athletes to monetise their name, image and likeness, enabling student athletes to seek out brand deals and endorse products that can provide them with extra income. While that seems like a working compromise between universities wanting to hold on to the integrity of the sport and student athletes wanting to make money, it cannot be adapted or made applicable to Canadian university sports. The truth remains that university sports in Canada, while popular provincially and perhaps nationally, do not have the proper infrastructure to sustain mass commercialisation.
In Lieu of Payment:
While student athletes may not be paid a fixed salary in Canada, they do receive other kinds of benefits. They can develop a sense of community that is essential to the social development of a student, as well as learn important skills that can help them succeed in the outside world. Varsity athletes can also try to build connections and gain fame and popularity in the sports world, as well as receive athletic scholarships that can fund their education. U SPORTS recently amended an academic stipulation in its scholarship programme, reducing the academic requirement in order to aid student athletes from all types of backgrounds and circumstances. The regulations will come into effect for the 2024-2025 academic year, and allow incoming student athletes more flexibility in their scholarship opportunities as they begin their university and varsity sports career. There are many athletics scholarships specifically available to undergraduate varsity athletes at SMU meant to support them in their education, such as the Bob Dauphinee Scholarship and Roy Clements Varsity Soccer Scholarship, and athletics bursaries like the Carol and Colin Dodds Family Bursary and Robert James Macpherson Memorial Bursary. There are 14 varsity scholarships and bursaries in total, with 7 of them specifically allocated to varsity football players, 2 to basketball players, and 1 to soccer players. The scholarships and bursaries differ in their requirements, with some specifying GPA, sport or personal attitude, but the common denominator seems to be the investment of donors whose interest in university sports led them to institute awards to help student athletes succeed at university.
So while Canadian universities do not demonstrate an inclination to implement the salaried status of student varsity athletes, mainly due to the low overall popularity of Canadian university sports when compared to neighbouring countries not creating the opportunity, the donors who support university sports provide adequate opportunities for student athletes to receive funding for their education. Universities also provide students athletes with the means for further success, emphasising the importance of both academics and athletics. While balancing education and sports might be difficult for some, student athletes at SMU have proven that they have what it takes to lead in both areas of university life. Now, do you think student athletes should be paid?