really??? enough money for whom?
http://www.usatoday.com/sports...ge/schools/finances/
Remember total revenue is before expenses....take a look at the expenses column to see how much is left, and it's a very select few that have any coffers to speak of. We going to redistribute their money too?
Well, there's plenty of money for about 25 football programs on that list. That's really my point. If those 25 were free to pay then there would be a flow of the best players to those schools and it would shift (maybe destroy) the competitive balance. By the way, I think competitive balance is essential for viability so I'm not arguing that point. My point is that the NCAA has gone to absurd lengths to protect this and the kids are holding the bag. Sure, there are a few that take advantage of the system, but in D1 football alone there are some 120+ schools with ~10,000 players, with less than 250 getting drafted by the NFL - so for the vast majority of athletes it is not about skating through school and get rich in the pros.
Actually, I'm not advocating paying them either. But if they can sell autographed pictures, run clinics, do photo shoots etc and get paid (by customers, not the schools) what is wrong with that? Any other non-athlete student can do the same without penalty. Yes, I get that the 3rd string water polo player probably won't sell as much as an SEC quarterback, but that's life and the way things are sometimes.