What Does Tom Brady Have To do With Teaching Compensation?

Teaching the fundamentals of compensation in an Introduction to Human Resource Management course is typically fraught with the challenge of piquing student interest and curiosity on a topic that has been perceived as dry and uninteresting. We have had very good success asking students to consider whether or not professional athletes are overpaid. The ensuing discussion enables students to apply the fundamental concepts from compensation. Students consistently answer compensation questions correctly on exams, providing initial support for this facilitated discussion on athlete pay.