Managers, owners and other administrators can have direct input in how much players get paid. 5 good reasons why women in sport don't deserve equal pay That gap is narrowing slightly, however. ", ProCon.org. 1. They make their teammates better, thereby improving the whole team (thinkTom Brady Kevin Durant, and, of course,Michael Jordan, etc.). Professional sports revenues are rapidly increasing because of the seemingly insatiable appetites for unique TV programs. As of 2014, a Sergeant of U.S Military who had two years of experience made $26,172. We compare average salaries of male players vs female players across sports like basketball, soccer and tennis, and highlight some of the major steps forward in the pursuit for equal pay. 19, 2021, Adam Liptak and Alicia Parlapiano, "What the Public Thinks about Major Supreme Court Cases This Term," nytimes.com, June 1, 2021, Business of College Sports, "Tracker: Name, Image and Likeness Legislation by State," businessofcollegesports.com, June 10, 2021, Adam Liptak, "Supreme Court Backs Payments to Student-Athletes," nytimes.com, July 21, 2021, Alan Blinder, "College Players May Make Money Off Their Fame, Powerful N.C.A.A. Those who need reminding that women generally get paid less than men for doing the same work got it on Tuesday. : The 100 debates that govern your life, written in a way that tells both sides of every story. What message do you think U.S. Soccer is sending with this agreement, which Mr. Das writes is a tacit admission that compensation for the mens and womens teams had been unequal for years? Also, think about whod get the money if the athletes made less. While the highest paid athletes draw more attention, the truth is thatmost athletes are fairly paid. [25] [26], If college players earned about 50% of their teams revenues like the NFL and NBA players do, the average football players yearly salary would be $360,000 and the average basketball players yearly salary would be $500,000. Gender equity in tennis has been in the spotlight for decades, stretching back beyond Billie Jean Kings threat to boycott the 1973 U.S. Open. The WNBA did recently add a multi-year partnership with CBS Sports Network to air 40 games next season, and the new pact is in addition to the leagues existing deal with ESPN. The truth is, some professional athletes make huge salaries because millions of people are happy to pay money to see those players make the amazing catches and breathtaking plays we love to watch. Examining the Gender Pay Gap in Sports | Salary.com We'll have to wait and see what. In fiscal year 2019, the collective expenses of the 65 Power Five schoolsthe largest and richest Division I schools in the NCAAexceeded revenue by $7 million. The team filed a complaint against U.S. Soccer in March that states: Female WNT players would earn a maximum of $99,000 or $4,950 per game, while similarly situated male MNT players would earn an average of $263,320 or $13,166 per game. The players claim they face discrimination when it comes to where and how often they play, how they train and travel, the medical treatment and coaching they receive, and obviously their salaries. As of June 10, 2021, 18 states have passed NIL laws; five more states have passed bills that were awaiting the governors signature to become law; 14 states have introduced NIL bills; and one state has a bill passed by the Senate and awaiting a House vote, according to the Business of College Sports. These players are apart from their families and have to stay in hotels and eat out at many places. People in the military leave their families at home to defend and protect the country knowing they may never return. Think about Jamarcus Russel, the former No. This week, the United States Soccer Federation pledged to equalize pay for its mens and womens national teams as part of a settlement that included a $24 million payment to a group of players for the womens team who had sued the organization for gender discrimination. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. has approved a historic change to allow student-athletes to be compensated for use of their N.I.L., with schools and conferences allowed to adopt their own additional policies . ProCon.org. And this stark disparity has hardly budged for more than a decade: the pay gap between men and women has sat at 80%-83% since 2004. They reap billions of dollars every year from TV deals and merchandise and ticket sales. 2016: Five USWNT players filed a wage-discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Do you think well-established minor-league systems would be attractive to high-school graduates and college athletes less interested in (or ill-prepared for) higher education? Divisions II and III of the NCAA followed suit and the changes went into effect for all three divisions on July 1, 2021. Aside from federal, state and city taxes and pension, which everyone pays, players also need to pay agent fees, a $10,000 union due, and aJock Taxfor each of their away games, among others. Thats about $40million a yearone of the highest annual salaries in team sports. The team salary cap for the National Pro Fastpitch softball league is $175,000; the Boston Red Sox will split $227 million in 2019. If you are interested in equalizing athlete pay, or if you want to push for better compensation for players overall, consider a career in sport management. Feb. 25, 2022 This week, the United States Soccer Federation pledged to equalize pay for its men's and women's national teams as part of a settlement that included a $24 million payment to a group. Why or why not? The bulk of that figure is back pay, a tacit admission that compensation for the mens and womens teams had been unequal for years. [24], B. David Ridpath, EdD, Associate Professor of Sports Administration at Ohio University, noted, The only amateur quality about college athletics is that colleges refuse to pay their players. Ridpath explained, The United States is the only country in the world that has a significant portion of elite athletic development and commercialized sport embedded within its education systems. Explain your answer. What kids learn from successful ballplayers like him is that Its okay for me to use illegal substances, because in the long run, it will pay off by earning me an enormous contract.. In the 1997-98 season, NBA rookies made 176% more than WNBA rookies. For the first time, the average salary reached six figures. In 2019, the average annual income for a US household was $96,955 while the average income of a professional baseball player in the major leagues was around $4.7 million .The rising gap between the average American's income and a professional athlete's income might pose a serious threat to . This is just one of the ways that professional sports are working to improve pay inequality. What puzzles me even more, is how after holding out for weeks, and sometimes months, the owners give in and pay them what they don't deserve. The NCAA also does not prohibit schools from canceling injured athletes scholarships, leaving athletes without a sport or education. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Are pro athletes overpaid. Are Professional Athletes Overpaid Both teams have a salary cap, meaning each team has a limit on how much they can pay their players and some limits on how they can divide that pot of money. 3, 2021), National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Facts: Tuition Costs of Colleges and Universities, nces.gov, 2019, NCAA, Finances of Intercollegiate Athletics, ncaa.org (accessed Mar. Schools would also have to cut unprofitable sports including gymnastics, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. For better or for worse? They shouldn't have to become Maxim models to prove their worth. Fox Sports say the pool-play game versus Chile had record viewership for a Women's World Cup group-stagematch. While 2020 brought unexpected changes to both the NBA and the WNBA, with both leagues seasons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBA still remains. [48], A 2019 Seton Hall Sports Poll found that 60% of those surveyed agreed that college athletes should be allowed compensation for their name, image, and/or likeness, while 32% disagreed, and 8% were unsure. [34], The major money-makers, football and mens basketball, have very low odds. Pro. Two sportswriters weigh in. Colleges reap billions from these student athletes sacrifices and success but, in the same breath, block them from earning a single dollar. Lets take a closer look at the professional athlete salary statistics for three sports that have made headlines when it comes to the gap in professional pay: basketball, soccer and tennis. The existence of world tournaments and professional leagues highlight the reason why female athletes should be paid less than their male counterparts. We are told female athletes are paid less than men because they generate less money. Limits on Paying College Athletes, nytimes.com, Dec. 16, 2020, Dennis Dodd, Breaking Down the NCAA's Forthcoming Supreme Court Battle with Its Big Brother Status and Amateurism at Stake, cbssports.com, Feb. 3, 2021, NCAA, 2021 March Madness: Complete Schedule, Dates, ncaa.org (accessed Mar. Analysis: What equal pay in women's sports really means players. The gender pay gap in professional sports persists - The Daily Californian In fact, each basket Kobe Bryant scores earns him equivalent to the average classroom teachers yearly salary. THAT'S IT! So if you think pro athletes make too much money, maybe you should stop watching them. Opponents to equal pay for women cite a variety of reasons why male athletes are paid more than women, including viewership, play style, strength, revenue and more. Nine other NCAA executives were paid more than $500,000 in 2018, with one paid more than $1.3 million. The Yankees bat boy salary is more than my professional softball contract,NPF playerand U.S. womens national team member Delanie Gourley wrote in a since-deleted tweet.