I think the players who opt in to try and make money off their NIL should be required to pay back their scholarship equivalent amount so that money can be used towards more academic scholarships for those who are going to use their degrees in ways that better society, the economy, or the workforce in general. Once that's paid back, they're free and clear to keep everything over and above their scholarship cost. Can you imagine the amount money that could be used for academic scholarships if most of the students who are given sports scholarships no longer needed that money earmarked just for them?

One sad affect about NIL stuff is, it's already turning college sports into the new professional levels of the same sports, what with all the transfers that go on now. It used to be in college sports, and long ago in professional sports, that a player played for one team their entire career. That's been long gone in the pro leagues, and is fading quickly from college sports now, too.

Seems to me that Leonard Berry did well enough without being an athlete to make you know who he is. Either that or he really is a great marketer, of himself. Seems kinda ballsy to go to an agricultural and mechanical school to get a marketing degree. Probably could've gone somewhere MUCH cheaper for that. However it really does further reinforce that you don't have to go to a specific school just for one specific degree. Thousands upon thousands of amazing engineers, lawyers, and doctors never went to Harvard or Yale. Lots of them got their Bachelor's at regular old backwater schools that they happen to live near.

During my time in college, in a number of my GE courses, I had a few student athletes in those classes. With the exception of a couple guys(who some of you have seen over the years commenting on NFL games), I can count on one hand how many times I saw those athletes in class all semester, literally. I remember in one of my English classes getting all excited when I recognized one of the stars of the basketball team on the first day of class. Thought it'd be cool to get to know the guy over the fall semester, i.e. when basketball isn't even really played that much. That was the ONLY time I ever saw him in class.

Couldn't agree much more with your post. I'm really curious what the actual percentage of graduating athletes is who actually do the work, get good grades, and become functioning members of the workforce when their dreams of professional sports falls through.

That UK 15 Club collective sure sounds a lot like a version of OnlyFans for student athletes.

Plus, it's old name of Athletes Advantage sounds like a cheaper version of AthLead, the company that Jim co-founded on The Office.