Like the only things I can cave on is:
(1) They should have more comprehensive health insurance to pay ongoing medical bills for injuries sustained while playing football for the University
(2) Athletes shouldn't lose their scholarship due to injury
That's pretty much it. I don't really care that they generate a ton of revenue. That revenue pays for scholarships for all sports. You want racial justice? How about giving a bunch of full-ride scholarships to mostly minorities that enable them to graduate from college debt free. Oh wait, the NCAA does exactly that. With college costs increasing dramatically and with college debt becoming more and more prohibitive, these athletes have a chance to be 5+ years ahead of their peers with college degrees and armed with a college education. That is the golden opportunity, and I honestly can't think of another organization that does more to enable minorities to get college educations at no cost.
From my experience with college athletes though:
- They don't go to class. The women athletes (mostly) do. The men don't. They just don't.
- They have tutors that hold their hands and, more often than not, pretty much do their work for them.
- So many 4 year scholarships turn into 5-6 year scholarships between redshirting, injuries, and extending eligibility.
- They pick the easiest possible major in an effort to spend the least amount of effort possible on school.
- A huge number of the athletes waste the off-season. They attend class the minimum amount they can get away with and they probably work out. That's pretty much it.
- 98% of them don't add a cent to the revenue of the team. There's like 2% of college athletes that arguably bring fans to the table. The other 98% are 100% replaceable by an army of 2-3 star recruits that are sitting on the bench or didn't get a scholarship. People watch those players because of the uniform they are wearing. As a Utah fan, I cheered for Domo Hatfield for crying out loud. You think that him being him brought more fans to the table? That guy was a great player, but honestly brought exactly zero monetary value to Utah's football brand.