Our Viewpoint

Late last month, the NCAA voted to allow college athletes to be compensated. The move was influenced by the state of California's earlier decision to allow college athletes to sign endorsement deals and hire agents.

We can see both sides of the issue. College sports are lucrative for schools and for the NCAA, which reports more than $1 billion in annual revenue. It's only fair that the players get a piece of the pie as well, since they are the ones putting in the effort to win national championships and draw attention to their respective schools.

However, the move mostly will take away from the drive of college athletes. Historically, athletes get scholarships to attend college. It helps drive high school students hoping to move on to the next level. We love watching college sports because they love to play and compete. We're much more likely to be glued to the television for College Football Saturday over NFL Sunday.

Realistically, not many college athletes will go on to be professionals in their respective sports. That small percentage who do go on will have an advantage now to market themselves. But we hope the move by the NCAA doesn't take away the determination and competitive spirit of college sports.