For those who do not know, Division III athletes who participate in any sport for their respective university do not recieve scholarship money.
Do these athletes who dedicate so much time to their sport deserve a scholarship like the athletes in the other two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) divisions?
According to College Sports Scholarships website, there are 442 Division III institutions, sporting on average 230 male athletes and 160 female athletes.
These athletes spend countless hours dedicating time to their sport, trying to be good enough to generate revenue for their school, while balancing their school workload as well.
If the athletes are responsible for a certain percentage of income for the school, you would think they deserve some kind of incentive. The problem with that is the fact that most Division III institutions do not charge for ticket prices at events, thus not generating enough valued income to provide a scholarship for the athletes.
Should the universities start there? What people also don’t understand is the fact that schools do stretch themselves to try and give recruits money legally without having to give athletic scholarships.
Sharon Herzberger, Chair of the Division III President Council, said in an article on NCAA’s website, that 80 percent of student athletes receive financial aid, or merit scholarship for academic success. Giving them some sort of incentive to attend a school and play their sport.
What about the fact that students push themselves with no scholarship incentive?
Shouldn’t that reflect the character of the athletes striving to be better, both athletically and academically without cause or effect?
Here at Pacific, there are athletes who live their college careers in the Stoller Center bettering themselves for their respective sport. All of this while handling a rigorous academic schedule.
The top tier athletes have to fear failure, because they can lose their free ride for college. Athletes at this level have nothing motivating them but themselves.
It is true that many DIII schools may not have as fast or strong of athletes, but that does not mean they aren’t talented in their own right.
The Northwest Conference is one of the best DIII athletic conferences in the nation. Should their athletes be scrutinized because of their size, a genetic capability which can’t be controlled?
What about the football and basketball teams in which fans are charged to go to the game raising the university’s revenue, yet the players can’t receive financial aid through an athletic scholarship?
Showing how these athletes don’t need a scholarship to succeed and giving them one might not change anything. But with they’re constant success in both the classroom and on the field , I think these DIII have earned an opportunity in possibly getting a scholarship.
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