(10-04-2019 07:59 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 07:29 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I can already see some kid getting $1 million to do 1 billboard ad or only 1 30 sec TV ad.

OK, let's say you're correct, that there really is no valid name/likeness market for college athletes, so there will be a lot of sham situations where a player gets a wad of cash from a business or booster ostensibly for his likeness, but it's really a recruit signing bonus, or a payment to make sure he doesn't transfer to another school.

So what? If the value in a athlete is that he come to our school and play for us, and him coming is worth $200,000 or whatever to the boosters, why shouldn't he be able to capture that value?

In other words, why shouldn’t we make what SMU got the death penalty for legal? Let me flip the question—if the schools want to have an amateur league with competitive balance where booster don’t have undue influence, why can’t they? To the best of my knowledge—not a single player has ever been forced to play for a school. In fact, these kids show up in droves to camps where they PAY just to be seen by coaches in the hopes they will be recruited. The model has resulted in a successful product that’s been a useful tool for getting many kids an education they may not have received otherwise. Let’s keep in mind that only a tiny percentage of these kids go on to be pro athletes. Most college athletes will make their living off the degree they earn—not their athletic ability.