The truth is I do support the premise that college athletes should be compensated. But the how is important.
Under the collective bargaining model, should the backup kicker who rarely ever plays be eligible to earn the same benefits package that the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback receives? Of course not, that would be absurd. Should schools be able to fire student athletes who don’t reach their potential on the field? That wouldn’t seem right to me.
Yet, if a school strikes gold by inking a lucrative broadcast agreement made possible only by its star-studded football roster, or if it rakes in cash by selling jerseys with those students’ numbers on the back, don’t the schools then owe it to their players? If the NCAA hauls in millions by licensing video games that feature those students’ likenesses, then maybe those athletes ought to see a little slice of the pie.
Read the full op-ed here...
