Here is the reason why it’s different and far more complicated than it seems.
The schools openly promote athletes for this and that award, putting them on display for the whole country. Why shouldn’t the school get a cut for their promotional services?
These students will require agents and agents are strictly forbidden for obvious reasons.
How many Students will be in line to make real money? There are over 8000 college football players (about 400 teams) in all divisions and all this for 30-40 players.
That’s far different from a student getting a part time job.
College athletes on scholarship are already being paid. A four year scholarship to most colleges would cost about $75,000+++ over four years. The fact that many abuse that generous gift is too damned bad.
For those real oldtimers. Remember that the U. of Chicago was quite a football powerhouse. Then from one day to the next the football program was ended. I could see Stanford, Northwestern, Wake Forest and Rice bowing out. And others would follow.
The schools promote them to get higher attendance, better TV ratings, better renewals to the TV contracts, and a higher profile for the next recruiting class. The schools are already getting plenty off of that.
Agents are only strictly forbidden because agents imply money to be made, and the students aren’t allowed to make money. Now they are. Nothing wrong with agents.
Who cares if they make “real” money? As it sits right now the students can’t even get a free lunch at a restaurant (or free tattoos, remember the Ohio students) without risking their eligibility and hence scholarship. The system is stupid. It needs to die.