Pay-for-Play in College Athletics: A Phenomenological Study of Former and Current College Student-Athletes’ Perception of Pay-for-Play

The literature suggests the conceptual definition of amateurism set by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the increase in corporate athleticism within the NCAA has resulted in a controversial debate concerning the pay-for-play model, which would allow student-athletes to receive additional compensation. Numerous studies related to pay-for-play have been implemented, however, few have examined how student-athletes feel about the pay-for-play model. The purpose of this study will be to explore student-athletes’ perceptions of pay-for-play. In order to understand student-athletes’ perceptions of pay-for-play, a phenomenological research design was chosen. Three former and two current NCAA Division I student-athletes from Liberty University participated in the research. Each participant filled out a survey, completed an in-depth interview and participated in a focus group. The participants’ results showed two were proponents of pay-for-play, two were neutral and one was an opponent of the model. The survey results showed no major commonalities were found amongst the subgroups of the student-athletes. The individual interviews and focus groups exposed the only commonality found amongst similar viewpoints was the personal research a participant has done about the pay-for-play model.