why this an issue of race and not just sports

white coaches and White institutions profit off of black athletes

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Football and basketball are two of the most profitable college sports, bringing in millions of dollars every year to colleges, universities, and the NCAA. Every year, the NCAA holds a nationwide tournament, March Madness, for Division I men's basketball teams. It is "a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams that compete in seven rounds for the national championship" (Wilco). In this tournament, the NCAA makes "$700 million annually from CBS, Tuner, and ESPN for broadcast rights to March Madness - a sum that reportedly will jump to nearly $900 million per year from 2019 to 2024" (Hruby). On top of that, they make billions more from 124 major football teams. In 2014, the teams made a combined $8.2 billion (Hruby). Yet, the majority of athletes who profit the NCAA and colleges are black athletes who attract fan bases for their likeness and despite the massive revenue, the NCAA refuses to pay athletes for their hard work and likeness.

Financial and Personal Struggles

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Many athletes of color face hardships that prevent them from being able to make money and pay for basic necessities. Based on the US census data, African American households make around $35,000 a year compared to white household who make at least 35% more (Laughlin), which hardly covers one year at most colleges. The NCAA makes billions of dollars annually and these athletes receive barely anything. Due to this, it causes us to question why athletes are not receiving compensation? While athletes do receive a stipend check, it's simply not enough. A former African American collegiate football play under the pseudonym name Kevin, which is a fictional name for confidentiality reasons, expresses his feelings for not being able to have his basic needs met as a student athlete. Although "we had a full ride [and] all [our] academics and everything, books and all that stuff [were] taken care of but when...I lived on campus in the dorms and that little whatever thirty dollars a month...that we got living on campus was nothing especially when you [come] from a background where you can't...call home and be like...'mom please send me this, send that'" (Beamon).

Source:

Beamon, Krystal K. “‘Used Goods’: Former African American College Student-Athletes’ Perception of Exploitation by Division I Universities.” Journal of Negro Education, vol. 77, no. 4, Fall 2008, pp. 352–364. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=37374611&site=eds-live.