So, athletes getting 5 years at Ohio, at say $30K a year in education, $150K isn't enough? Really?
The portal and NIL is destroying sports at the intercollegiate level.
I recall Daz Patterson, on full scholarship, bagging groceries in Athens.
What's next, college football becomes "professional"? Oh wait, it already is.
In addition to scholarships, I worked at a copy/print shop to pay my expenses, or at other times, as a TA. The problem with football, for a student, is that it requires a massive time commitment that leaves little time for other things, such as studying, working jobs, etc. I think that rules prohibit them from part time jobs during season, but even if they don't, they clearly can't work as many hours as most other students. I've always viewed the benefits they receive (scholarships, room & board, academic tutoring) as appropriate, given the time they have to spend on football.
The problem is, that they are a one size fits all solution. Everyone gets the same thing (at least, in theory), so it's socialism in action. Take from each according to their ability, and give to each according to their needs. On the positive side, it was a massively successful program for affirmative action, which gave many people a college education whose families had never before had such an opportunity, and many people took advantage of that to leave poverty behind and move into financially lucrative careers. On the negative side, it created corruption, where people used money under the table to recruit the true stars.
Can the new NIL system maintain the positives of the past, but also avoid the corruption of the past, and result in a fairer system, and without destroying the entire system by further increasing the differences between the "have" schools and the "have not" schools? We shall see. Life is an adventure. Things change. Often when old problems are fixed, new ones emerge, but that's no excuse for avoiding attempts to progress.