If people at least acknowledge the non-trivial benefits athletes already get, then we can at least have an honest conversation about the issue. And it's far more than just free education. Without the exposure college athletes get from the school, they would have no shot at the NFL.

I still maintain that relatively few athletes bring in incremental revenue for the university. As I said, in college football, people are fans of the name on the front of the jersey far more than any name on the back of any jersey. Most of the revenue rightfully belongs to the university.