The dangers of college football

After hearing the Intelligence Squared debate on banning college football on Tuesday May 8 , most people chose the side to ban college football. The choices of the majority are certainly correct, for college football has many problems and should be removed from all universities.

It is true college football allows the players to gain a scholarship into their dream school, but the amount of students that get a scholarship are relatively low. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1.1 million high-school students play football, yet only 66,000 is ready for college football. On top of that, out of the 66,000 ready for football, only 19,500 get a scholarship. 

Even if a scholarship is granted, college football also has the danger of putting students at risk of many physical injuries and brain damage. Excessive brain damage can lead to problems like Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). CTE can lead to poor judgements, unsteady gait, slower muscle movements, and hearing loss. 

Besides the issues of player injuries, financial problems are also misled and used incorrectly. Coaches of college football teams are being overpaid in this terrible economy. USA Today reports at least 64 coaches are making more than a million dollars. Earning this huge amount of money is insane because the coaches aren’t the one entering the field and taking all the injuries. It’s even more ironic when some of the coaches earn more money than the college president. 

Along with coaches getting excessive money,  the amount of money spent on the football is abundant as well. The football field construction cost mainly came from taxpayers. One-hundred-forty million dollars were used for TCF Bank Stadium, 196 million dollars were used on Heinz Field, and also 181 million dollars were used on Lincoln Financial Field. The money spent for the stadium can definitely help out with the 46 million people in the USA that live below the poverty line.

College football is only meant to be an entertainment, yet it’s ready to influence the economy  of a nation and the education of many students. Therefore, it is encouraged for everyone to step up and speak up to help end this dangerous college sport.