Here’s a stat that might surprise you: the NCAA makes over a billion dollars a year, mostly off the backs of student athletes. Meanwhile, a player on a full scholarship for a sport like football or basketball might only get a few thousand dollars in living expenses above their tuition. That’s not fair. These kids put in 40-hour weeks, risking their bodies, and the NCAA and universities profit huge. A salary wouldn’t have to be massive—just something to cover rent, food, and basic needs. Scholarships don’t always cover everything, and not everyone goes pro. They’re adults making millions for their schools. Pay them.

My cousin played D1 football for three years before a knee injury ended his career. He was a walk-on, so his scholarship only covered partial tuition. He worked two jobs during the season to afford rent and food. Meanwhile, the university sold jerseys with his number on them. That’s the reality for most athletes, not the superstars you see on TV. I get the concern about ruining amateur sports—it’s a fair point. But we already have a system where coaches make millions and athletes can’t even sign an endorsement deal. That’s not pure amateurism, that’s exploitation. A reasonable salary, maybe capped at $20-30k a year, wouldn’t turn college sports into the pros. It would just let kids afford basic necessities without breaking rules. We’re not talking about paying them like NBA players, just treating them like the workers they actually are.

Look, here's another stat: the average Power 5 football player generates about $500,000 in revenue for their school each year. They walk away with a scholarship worth maybe $30,000. That's a 94% return for the university. You can't tell me that's fair. I hear you saying they represent the college, and yeah, they do. But so do professors and administrators, and we pay them. Representing the school doesn't mean you shouldn't get compensated for the actual work you're doing. You're worried about changing the nature of college sports. But here's the thing—the nature already changed decades ago. These aren't club teams anymore. They're billion-dollar entertainment operations. We're just pretending otherwise so we don't have to share the profits. A capped salary wouldn't destroy anything. It'd just make the system honest.