Student-athletes in college are some of the most popular athletes in the country, but they do not get compensated accordingly.

College athletes deserve compensation for the work and time they dedicate to their universities’ athletic programs. College athletics, especially football and men’s basketball, bring in millions of dollars in revenue for their respective schools and the NCAA, but that money does not find its way back to the players. Student-athletes bring in revenue for their team and college or university, especially in the championship games, those who debate in favor of paying them say the students could receive a small portion of the profits. Yes, pay would vary, just as the universities with the more successful teams receive more television time or money than those with less successful teams.

The college sports industry generates $11 billion in annual revenues. Fifty colleges report annual revenues that exceed $50 million. Meanwhile, some colleges report annual revenues that exceed $100 million. These revenues come from numerous sources, including ticket sales, sponsorship rights, and the sale of broadcast rights. The National Collegiate Athletic Association recently sold broadcast rights to its annual men’s basketball tournament for upwards of $770 million per season.

And the Big Ten Conference has launched its own television network that sells air-time to sponsors during the broadcast of its football and men’s basketball games.