Who were the current players?

And the argument that college athletes must be downtrodden indentured servants to warrant paying them is a complete red herring.

People in the United States deserve to be compensated commensurate with their value. Every single member of the Duke basketball team could be heirs to the Walton Family fortune and that wouldn't change that they're earning money for everybody but themselves.

Is the last player on the bench of an NBA team worth zero? They prepare and practice and will get their opportunity to play. Maybe you’re willing to play for only a scholarship in today’s climate is you weren’t good enough to play.

First off,you need to separate college and professional sports,unless you want to let individual college players start negotiating compensation.

BLSOS's post referred to compensation based on "commensurate value".

That means some players should be paid more then others.In some cases,a lot more.

There are a few football and basketball programs that do "make money".

So does that mean that only players in profitable football and basketball programs would be entitled to compensation ?

You'd also have to exclude players in non revenue producing sports.

Given the NCAA's distribution of scholarships,in certain sports,even some starters don't get a full ride.

Ask any of them if they'd be happy with a free college education.

I realize he was talking about a D3 experience, Jeff, but I thought he was also making a general point about college athletes at all levels. I guess he can let us know how broad a point he was making.

OCF, you and Jeff were both right. Even at some D 3 schools the demands on the kids are out of control. In kind of like the cost of college. Rather than making "financial aid" more readily available perhaps we should look to contain costs. The ease of securing loans has driven up the cost of an education without even considering "does it really need to cost this much."

The NCAA does not give a rip about the well-being or rights of the general student athlete - any of them. Their only interest is in the financial sanctity of the football and men's basketball programs because THAT is where THEIR money is. They could care less if a college golfer, swimmer, or wrestler made cash on the side. The only reason they stop it is because it would set a precedent for football and basketball players - and any relinquishment of power of the purse to the players jeopardizes the very financial pyramid they have constructed for themselves. They declare the holiness and value of a college education (often dangled to those that have limited ability or interest in fulfilling such a course) while counting their billions and limiting the rights and power of the very football and basketball players that generate the cash flow - while the same time feigning to genuflect to student athletes in the lesser sports who scrap for partial scholarships and often abandon what little money they received once they find out how time consuming college sports are and how much better others are (meaning no playing time). But then many of these "partials" participate in suburban sports whose parents can afford to pick up little Billy's or Betty's college costs once they quit baseball, swimming, lacrosse, etc. So the university makes out financially on their path as well. FYI - the above is paraphrased from college president I work with. None of this is a secret.

Boy your president friend is a little too jaded me thinks. There are about 65 P5 schools. They are each counting millions and most of them lose money on sports. If I was a P5 school or the NCAA I wouldn't change too much at all. Maybe guarantee room and board for 5 years no matter what. And make it a bit easier for players to move around. That's about it.

By far best deal out there for 18-21 year olds for basketball and football is what the NCAA provides right now. By far. Yet we act like the NCAA is evil. Seems a bit strange.

Perhaps jaded, but better I make the distinction between the NCAA organization and member schools - many of which (but not nearly all) take great efforts to provide a valuable student-athlete experience. The NCAA on the other hand is focused in on protecting the cash cows. Not staying the system needs turned on its ear, but it is hardly a fair system for many athletes in today's money sports. - and money is what it is all about - at the NCAA organization level and at the institution level - just ask the FBI. Or better yet Call Saul. He got fired because interest in the program was waning and money was declining as fewer and fewer fans showed up for games. Poor recruiting and losing was the cause, but the loss of money was the result.

Because they are eating on his dime?

Here's where it goes.
http://www.ncaa.org/about/where-does-money-go