Differences between Amateur and Professional Basketball Essay

Collegiate basketball tends to hold to different rules and regulations than the NBA, but the main facets of the game remains the same. The collegiate game, as opposed to the professional ranks, possesses stricter rules to which the universities, players, and coaches must adhere by. If these entities fail to follow the rules, they stand a good chance of facing harsh punishments. These punishments can range anywhere from fines and player suspensions to probation banning the school from postseason play. Such rules do not exist in professional basketball. Some other differences between collegiate and professional basketball are very obvious while others seem to be more subtle. One rather large difference between the NBA and NCAA†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, a college athlete only receives a scholarship for playing basketball. The athlete must work hard in the classroom and on the court to earn that scholarship. Once the athlete receives the scholarship, they have to work even harder to maintain the necessary grade level that is required to participate. One example of a person who was unable to maintain eligibility would be Chris McCray from the University of Maryland. He was suspended for the remainder of the season for failing to meet the NCAA standards of a 2.0 GPA on a minimum of six credit hours (Katz). Perhaps the largest difference between college basketball and professional basketball would be the amount of money and benefits that professional players receive in comparison with amateur players. Even though college athletics make millions in profits annually, the athletes do not see any money for their performances. During the 2002-2003 NCAA basketball season, Louisville, the school with the greatest profit, gained $14.6 million in revenue according to the Department of Education (Isidore). On the other hand, some NBA players make $14 million in one season. Professional athletes also receive many benefits, including free merchandise. If a collegiate player accepted free merchandise, they would be placing their basketball scholarship and career eligibility on the line. During LeBron Jamess senior year in high school,Show MoreRelatedThe National Collegiate Athletic Association1227 Words   |  5 Pagescollege sports. For 2011-12, the NCAA reported $871.6 million in revenue-- 81 percent of which came from a broadcast rights agreement with Turner/CBS Sports. Another 11 percent came from sponsoring championships, such as the annual March Madness basketball tournament. No college sport generates more money every year than football. In 2012, Business Insider reported that the University of Texas football program generated more than $95 million the previous season, the most of any college in the UnitedRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography : Women s Equality1611 Words   |  7 Pagesmen’s sports, pay differences between male and female athletes are large, and female athletes have to wait longer to start their professional career than men, which risks their professional career before it even starts. In today’s world, men’s sports seem to always be in the spotlight while women’s sports do not draw much attention, as if women who play sports are not taken seriously. This happens on all levels of sports, and I have personally experienced it myself through basketball in high schoolRead MoreStudent Athletes Are Deserving Of Economic Remuneration1505 Words   |  7 Pages(Rovell, 2014). Five of the sports included are professional where the athletes are paid. However, two of them--NCAAF and NCAAM--are amateur sports headed by student-athletes who are not paid. When these college sports are on par with professional organizations that are worth billions of dollars, then the amateurism behind the NCAAF and NCAAM is questioned. In fact, the NCAA generates almost a billion dollars annually. Since the athletes in question are amateur student-athletes, paying them might damageRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1506 Words   |  7 Pagesathletes? These scholarship s college athletes are â€Å"rewarded† with do not even allow them to live a healthy lifestyle, as they still go through a struggle of a lifestyle. College athletes do not need to be receiving flashy huge pay checks like professionals do, but a fair salary to allow them to live above a normal college student should be implemented. Not to put student athletes over or above regular students of the university, but the NCAA regulates what their athletes can do, how and even howRead More Should College Athletes be Paid? Essay1510 Words   |  7 Pagespoor on the field and off the field as well. According to Fred Bowen, â€Å"only football and men’s basketball are money-making college sports. Most others, such as field hockey, wrestling and swimming, do not attract big crowds or make big bucks.† (Should college athletes get paid?). Also the sports team that give out the most money for athletes to come and play for them, are football and men’s basketball. â€Å"Critics of paying college athletes note that only a small number of them compete in sports orRead MoreCollege Athletes Deserve Compensation Essay861 Wo rds   |  4 Pagesand teams year round. Some people watch professional sports, while others prefer college. The only difference between professional and college athletics is the lack of payment to student athletes. The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) receives millions of dollars in revenue from college mens basketball and football, and college coaches of top schools are paid the same amount as professional coaches. Fans of both college and professional athletes can proudly show their commitmentRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid? Essay1001 Words   |  5 Pagesacademic year, fans were able to enjoy yet another nail-biting NCAA Basketball Tournament and a highlight filled football season. Most would agree that the NCAA provides competitive sport as popular as the professionals. In fact, its annual revenue makes that point clear. College football and basketball generate more than the National Basketball Association, a total of more than $6 billion yearly.[1 ] There is one major difference between the two associations, however. NBA players get paid for the revenueRead MoreThe Olympic Games : Athletes2287 Words   |  10 Pagespermitted to amateur athletes, or athletes that compete in a sport without collecting revenue from their activity, only. The International Olympic Committee, a committee that organizes and relegates the modern Olympic Games, changed the eligibility requirements of competitors in 1986. They permitted professional athletes to compete in the Olympics because many â€Å"amateur† athletes that were competing had been financially supported by their governments to train full-time. Because the lines between professionalRead MoreShould College Athletes Be Paid?1454 Words   |  6 Pageswould affirm that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) provides as much entertainment as professional sports; a fact that is prove to by the organization’s annual revenue, which nets more than $6 billion yearl y (Fitzel, 3). Interestingly enough, National Basketball Association (NBA) generates less then college football and basketball (the value, 7). There is one key difference between the NBA and the NCAA. NBA players are paid on a commission basis for the revenue they help bring in.Read MoreCollege Athletes Should Be Paid1323 Words   |  6 PagesCollegiate Athletics Association) does not think it is necessary to pay these athletes because they want to maintain the â€Å"amateur sport† status. According to Stanley Eitzen in his â€Å"College Athletes should be Paid, â€Å"The universities and the NCAA claim their athletes in big-time sports programs are amateurs and, despite the money generated, the NCAA and its member schools are amateur organizations promoting an educational mission,† when in reality it is not so. â€Å"College athletes should be paid because