My cousin played Division 1 basketball on a full scholarship. He got a top-tier education, housing, meals, and a built-in network that landed him a solid job after he graduated. He’d tell you himself—he was paid, just not in cash. That’s the thing people miss. A full athletic scholarship at a big school can be worth $50,000 to $200,000 over four years. That’s real money, especially for kids from low-income backgrounds who couldn’t afford college otherwise. Paying athletes on top of that turns them into employees, which means taxes, lost scholarships for non-revenue sports, and less focus on academics. College is supposed to be about education, not a paycheck.

Hold on—you say you “can’t see the question,” but that feels like a dodge. The debate is right there: should college athletes be paid? I’ll take it at face value, though. Look, I get the emotional pull. These athletes generate millions for the NCAA, and it feels unfair they don’t get a cut. But a full scholarship is already a massive payment. At a top school, that’s tuition, room, board, books—easily $200,000 over four years. That’s life-changing money for most kids. You turn them into employees, and suddenly non-revenue sports like track or swimming get slashed to balance budgets. Scholarships vanish. Taxes hit. And the academic mission takes a backseat. College is about earning a degree, not a paycheck. The current system already pays them—just not in cash. That’s the reality.

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