True, playing college sports is a privilege, but it is also a huge cash cow for the colleges. It's an entertainment business, plain and simple. Yes, they are getting a free ride education, but they are also putting their bodies at extreme high risk every time they step onto the field to play. Some play with the hope of making it into the professional leagues, while others just play their way through college and don't desire to go into the professional stuff.
I will use #13 Tua as an example. I just started going to the games last year and Tua is one popular dude on and off the field. Kids, youth, and even adults are wearing #13 jerseys with Tagovailoa on the back. That's probably one of the more popular jerseys you see at the Bama games...you will see people wearing them in any direction you look. The official Nike NCAA licensed ones are $90 online for them. They sell a boat load of those jokers. The white Crimson Tide offical footballs that the team signs, aren't very much. You can get them for like $30 and take them to the fan day events and have all the players sign it. They also have to do the little behind the scenes meet and greets, press stuff, etc too. It could all be over with one hit on the field, and they never even get to the Pros.
