re: How long until major college football is just openly a minor league?

Even in the early 1900s there were paid mercenaries who participated at various colleges on their football teams.

LSU had some.
There were players who played college and pro football at the same time a 100 years ago or so. I’ll try to find an article, but “there is nothing new under the sun.”

LINK

LINK

“Athletes during the early and mid-1900’s were routinely recruited and paid to play; and there were several instances where individuals representing the schools were not enrolled as students. For example, there is one report of a Midwestern university using seven members of its team that included the town blacksmith, a lawyer, a livery man, and four railroad employees (5). Other athletes at colleges were given high paying jobs for which they did little or no work. ” LINK /