Several major media news outlets including Fox News and ESPN are grabbing onto the news that the NCAA is considering giving student athletes a $2,000 grant to cover the increased costs of attending school.  The grant is in addition to student tuition and fees, so it could be considered a "payment".  I was a student athlete and would have loved an extra two grand to use.  The report acknowledges that most student athletes can't work a job while playing sports.  I will attest to this. It's virtually impossible and still be able to pass classes.

But isn't it time the NCAA recognized that students are essentially professional athletes? With the saturation across the major media outlets, these athletes make the schools millions of dollars.  I would ask, "Is two thousand even enough if you are a running back for Auburn or Miami?" Should the NCAA just open the doors and allow student athletes to get paid in Division 1 athletics, at least for the major sports like football, basketball, and baseball.  We already have different divisions, so not every school has to do it.

What do you think?