This will be the worse move that the NCAA could make. These players are getting a college education (most wouldn't have this opportunity) for free, free rent (if they live modestly), free meals at the dinning hall (buffett style), free clothes from the athletic department (in copious amounts), free doctor visits, a lot of electronics/gifts from bowl games and the school when you make a bowl game, a check every couple of months with extra scholarship money (which most players blow on dvd's, video games, strip clubs, alcohol, etc... not helping mommy and daddy like the coaches suggest paying the players will do), they get a huge lump sum of cash when they have to stay over holidays or at a bowl site.

All of the above is not to mention the illegal money, cars, clothes, free dinners, free movie tickets, etc that they are receiving.

On top of this, most players come from financially weak homes and receive grant money from the government, which is usually blown on rims, alcohol, strip clubs, dvd's, video games, every pair of jordan shoes possibly attainable.

After seeing all that players get, what could they possibly need more money for? Maybe to buy some going out clothes or take the girlfriend on a date, but if they would budget the money that they receive and not blow it on unnecessary "wants" they would have money to do these things.

So what would paying the players do? Would it help them to help mom and dad? Would it better them as a person? No, they will blow it on more alcohol, strip clubs, rims, speakers, jewelery, etc and in essence make them more greedy then they already are. I know this does not apply to all athletes, but the majority it does apply to.

College athletes need to be thankful for the unbelievable opportunity that they already have (if professional doesn't work out, they will have the upper hand in a job applicant pool because of the extracurricular and their status)and be even more grateful for the things that they are given and are able to acquire over a 4-5 year college stay that the normal college student could only dream of obtaining.