Outline of Essay
I. Introduction
A.
Hook: College sports bring in billions through ticket sales, merchandise, and TV deals, yet the athletes themselves rarely see direct financial benefits.
B.
Background Info: The NCAA currently prevents college athletes from being directly paid, though schools and networks profit heavily. Many athletes dedicate 30–40 hours a week to their sport, which makes it difficult to work part-time jobs. Some statistics show that athletic programs at major schools generate
hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
C.
Thesis Statement: Student-athletes should be paid because of the time and effort they dedicate, the unfair exploitation in the current system, their importance in generating revenue for schools, and the financial struggles they continue to face beyond scholarships.
II. Body Paragraph 1: Time and Effort
A.
Topic Sentence: Paying student-athletes is fair because of the full-time commitment they dedicate to their sport.
B. Supporting: Athletes spend 30–40 hours weekly on sports.
C. Supporting: Little time remains for jobs or extra income.
D. Supporting: Scholarships don’t fully cover expenses like food, housing, or travel.
III. Body Paragraph 2: Fairness and Exploitation
A.
Topic Sentence (with transition): Beyond the long hours, the current system is unfair because it allows universities to exploit athletes without paying them.
B. Supporting: Universities and media profit even if athletes get injured.
C. Supporting: Schools benefit far more than the athletes themselves.
D. Supporting: Payment reduces stress and allows athletes to focus on school and sports.
IV. Body Paragraph 3: Recognition and Value
A.
Topic Sentence (with transition): In addition to preventing exploitation, paying student-athletes acknowledges the true value they bring to college sports.
B. Supporting: Athletes are the reason fans and sponsors invest.
C. Supporting: Advertisers and networks rely on athletes’ visibility.
D. Supporting: Compensation validates effort, motivates athletes, and shows gratitude.
V. Body Paragraph 4: Financial Struggles and Equity
A.
Topic Sentence (with transition): Finally, paying athletes would help address the financial struggles they continue to face and create greater equity across college sports.
B. Supporting: Scholarships don’t cover all living expenses.
C. Supporting: Many athletes take on debt or side jobs despite their workload.
D. Supporting: Small stipends or payments could create fairness across sports, recognizing hard work regardless of revenue differences.
VI. Conclusion
A.
Restated Thesis: Student-athletes should be paid because they put in demanding hours, the current system exploits them, they are central to college sports revenue, and they still face significant financial struggles.
B.
So What?: Paying athletes would make college sports more fair and ethical, while finally giving recognition and respect to the players who make the system possible.
For this assignment, you will draft your introduction.
Use the feedback you received on your outline to make any necessary improvements for this paragraph. The following elements must be included in your submission:
· Start your introduction with a hook designed to quickly engage the reader.
· Introduce the larger controversy that you will be weighing in on.
· Provide any necessary background information to bring your reader up to speed on what you have chosen to present as an argument. This will vary depending on your topic and may include elements such as definitions, statistics, a brief history on your topic, etc.
· Close your introduction with your thesis statement.
This assignment must be submitted in APA style. Make sure to use APA format, cite any outside sources within the text, and include any references that you used at the end.
Type your work into this APA template:
APA Template
Download APA Template
See the rubric for specific grading criteria.
Resource: Use the
Grammarly tool
to catch and correct mistakes in your writing assignments.
