Picture the women's swim team at a mid-sized state school. They're at practice at 5 a.m., the same as the football team. Now imagine the athletic department has to figure out who gets paid and how much. That's the real problem here — paying athletes isn't a simple fairness question, it's a system with huge ripple effects. Once you start putting a price tag on players, you don't get a neat hourly wage for everyone. You get a superstar quarterback making six figures while the volleyball player gets nothing. That breeds resentment and tears teams apart from the inside. And the scholarship already is the payment — tuition, housing, meals, gear, coaching, medical care. At most schools, that's a package worth more than any part-time paycheck. Most college athletes aren't going pro. Their real payout is the degree and the connections. Start paying athletes, and non-revenue sports get cut, Title IX turns into a legal minefield, and the whole amateur model collapses. We'd lose more than we'd gain.

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