There are so many terrible, horrible things being flatly stated as truths in this thread that I hardly know where to begin.
I will simply add that if you think that the pre-NIL system, in which all the power, wealth, and influence of a multi-billion dollar industry was concentrated in the hands of a few dozen athletic directors and mega donors was better, there isn’t much point to a debate. If you feel they “earned” that right and “deserved” that money and that their interest somehow constituted a legitimate business enterprise benefiting society, but athletes on a college team being paid represents a systemic societal failure as they have not “earned” anything but are taking an “entitlement,” we have no common ground to stand on. We have completely different definitions of corruption and morality.
