There's an old saying...

...be careful what you wish for; you might just get it! The 50/50 split could backfire on Cali. Once they pass a law to pay athletes a stipend, the rest of the nation will too. The problem arises when 50 states have 50 different laws, and some states my not distribute the paychecks in such an equal manner. If there is no uniform way of paying athletes, some schools will pay more to lure in better players in the revenue sports. Then anything goes! If the athletes are now paid employees, why not just let them be players on the sports that produce revenue for the university and not force them to go to class and work towards a degree? An even better way to get better players! Further, since they aren't technically "students" anymore but employees, you won't have to worry about a player staying academically eligible nor deal with those pesky entrance requirements. And you won't have to worry about applying for a 5th year. What does it even mean to be a 5th year senior anymore when you aren't even a student? I am sure the university paycheck and NIL money will be pretty good, so if you don't go pro, just stay where you are. You aren't a student anymore. I imagine such "contracts" will be year to year, so, since you aren't a student, the university can toss you out when the season is over. Now, I follow admit that this scenario is pretty ludicrous but I could see some of it happening in some way. Maybe I've had too many chemo meds, but college sports are going to look very different in 10 years (or less!).