Although sports bring us joy, and feel like an escape from everyday life, they too, have issues.

In America, where the four major sports are mainly located, capitalism is the wheel that keeps on spinning, production is the hand that spins that wheel.

As professional athletes, money is not a problem, multi million dollar contracts have become the norm, and sponsorship deals have reached numbers that some would have never believed to be possible. It makes sense why these athletes make the big bucks, they produce the entertainment. Without them, there are no fans, and no fans means no money.

So what about college basketball? To me, a major issue and an increasingly talked about subject in the world of sports is whether or not college athletes should be paid. While these athletes are amateurs, who are meant to be students first, it’s hard to deny that they are the real money makers, the reason people watch.

This issue is deep, so many things go into it, and really either way you look at it it’s easy to see the good and the bad in both sides of the coin. When you think of it from a capitalist standpoint, like most every other money making machine in America, it would make sense that the players bringing in all the attention – those who are producing – might earn some portion of the money.

In most cases, a college athlete isn’t going to get the chance to play at the next level, to earn the big bucks. It doesn’t mean they don’t pour their heart and soul into the game, doesn’t mean they aren’t deserving of some kind of compensation.

Like I said before, the issue is obviously extremely complex, and there is no simple answer. However, as the conversation has become more common, already some shifts can be seen from the NCAA.

It is difficult to come up with a guideline on how money is meant to be distributed to players. Many of them are already on a scholarship, and if they were going to be paid, how much would each individual receive? And would sports who don’t generate money through things like TV deals still pay their players? Certain universities make more from athletics than others, which could cause differences. The list of problems goes on and on, the NCAA will have to sit down and look at this for a long time before they reach a conclusion.

Interesting cases have also come up like that of a Lamelo Ball, who decided that rather than playing NCAA basketball, he would take his talents overseas to play in professional leagues where he can earn money. He and brother Liangelo Ball already played together in Lithuania. Since then, “Melo” has played high school basketball at Spire Academy, and had plenty of Division 1 offers. Instead he decided to continue a professional career before he meets his goal of getting drafted with the No. 1 overall pick.

Situations like his are opening high school athletes to the idea of going overseas to start earning money right away. Lamelo’s father, Lavar Ball, also made ripples with his creation of the Junior Basketball Association. Although it didn’t last very long, it was indication that something like it could potentially work overtime.

From an article in USA Today, “The players seemed equally delighted. On Wednesday, they received their first paychecks. Jerry Vargas, a 6-6 forward from Brooklyn who plays for the Seattle Big Ballers, said he sent $500 home to his mother after getting a check for $1,178. (The players are expected to be paid every two weeks, and the 40-game season is scheduled to make stops in 10 cities and culminate Aug. 12 back in Ontario, according to the league’s website.)”

Like most any issue, it will take trial and error to reach an end result. It’s a good sign that talks have started within the NCAA front offices. Outrage has reached new heights, and the conversation is taking place more often than ever before. It’s easy to see things from both sides of the argument, and their will likely never be a result that everyone is happy with. Still, the conversation needs to be had.