In reply to: there will be locker room strife. posted by MrE
and pay them handsomely. And not sure the general student population has an entitlement claim for those millions of dollars in revenue, either, but that's just my opinion.
There are probably no college students treated better, fed better, and provided more financial benefits than football players. With NIL it is not even close. I do not have a lot of sympathy about how "exploited" they are. I compare them to their peer group - other students.
As to whether the general student population is entitled, I would argue that it is the existence of the general student population that makes developmental football an order of magnitude more financially successful than minor leagues in other sports.
Players in this industry should have free-market rights and be able to negotiate for optimal conditions, compensation, etc. Just like their brethren in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL.
They can certainly still be good students, good classmates, and 18-22 years old at the same time.