The difference was that I wasn't participating in an activity that was generating millions of dollars for the university. Also, I didn't have to attend daily practices, work my tail off during summer break, etc. Oh, and I was allowed to have a job on the side. Also, I don't recall people paying thousands of dollars to attend my concerts. My school didn't sell band merchandise from major apparels like Adidas and Nike. There was no such thing as a Cougar Club where elite fans of our band poured in thousands of dollars annually to help fund our program. Arguing that these athletes are paid due to their scholarships is just silly. The amount of their scholarship doesn't come close to the amount of revenue they generate.