The most practical consequence of paying college athletes is that most athletic departments would go broke overnight, and the first thing cut would be the non-revenue sports—track, swimming, volleyball. The vast majority of Division I programs already lose money; they're subsidized by student fees and university funds. If we start writing paychecks to football and basketball players, those other teams vanish, and the scholarships that let hundreds of kids get an education disappear. That's not fairness—that's just trading one injustice for a worse one.

Why should making money after high school automatically entitle someone to a paycheck from the university? If that's the logic, every student with a part-time job should get paid to attend class. The financial advisor point is nice, but it misses the real issue: most athletic departments already operate in the red. Paying football and basketball players means cutting the sports that give non-stars a scholarship. You're not helping athletes—you're just shrinking the number of athletes who get a chance.

Where do you think that sponsorship money goes right now? It already funds the scholarships for the swimmer and the volleyball player—the ones who'll never see a pro contract. If you redirect it into player salaries, those sports lose their funding, and the athletes who actually need the education lose their shot. The reality is only a handful of programs generate real outside revenue, and even they rely on university subsidies. You're not paying most athletes; you're just cutting the opportunities for everyone who isn't a star. That's not fairness.