Extracurricular activities, particularly sports, have a long-standing tradition in public schools. However, the cost of running extracurricular programs has risen steeply. In many districts, state and local funding is shrinking, and extracurricular activities are often the first items to be put on the chopping block. In this article, the authors examine the concept of "pay-to-play," which shifts some of the financial burden of extracurricular activities to students and their families. The authors stress that there are much better ways for schools to make their programs affordable. (Contains 20 endnotes.)