The problem with that argument is that the athletes are usually funneled into General Studies and other useless majors that they can’t get a job with. Between practice, film study, workouts, traveling, and games, athletes have very little time left for studies and classwork. Getting a degree in an actually valuable major (Engineering, Biology, Computer Science, Nursing, etc.) becomes virtually impossible. Take a look at the majors of any college football roster and try and explain how much educational value they are actually getting. Players are expected to be athletes first, students far second. Anyone who thinks they are getting the same student experience as regular students is deluding themselves.
And then there’s the simple fact that many players would rather be paid in cash than in school tuition. Many players have families they are trying to support, and they obviously can’t feed their families with tuition, and that problem is exasperated by the fact that they now don’t have time for a job due to all the time they have to spend in football related activities.
What if tomorrow your boss came to you and told you that from now on you would be getting paid with educational courses, room and board, and even a nice meal plan. And that the value of this package is MORE than your current cash salary. What would your reaction be?
