The truth is I don't know the answer to this dilemma, but some sort of compromise is in order. The biggest snag involves how most college sports, chained to the NCAA by Federal Title IX legislation and other regulations, become part of the equation if a form of disbursement is created.
How will it be implemented?
Football and basketball, the major revenue-generating sports at the big schools, finance myriad other teams across the board. Swimming, rowing, wrestling, baseball, etc., do not generate sustainable income at most schools, except in rare circumstances.
The baseball coaches at both Oregon and Oregon State have created strong programs of late, for example, but neither is self-sufficient. They rely on the revenue generated by football and basketball contracts with the networks, ticket sales, merchandising, and even some donor money.
In a true laissez-faire system unprofitable sporting events, like any other controlled endeavor, wouldn't exist. But that is not our system, despite what certain politicos would like you to believe. If it was, Wall Street would have been done in 2008 and the entire concept of the "public good" in society would implode instantaneously.
This deal will be interesting to follow, and finding a satisfactory solution will be difficult. Some argue college sports need to be abolished, except at the club level.
Perhaps that is where we'll ultimately land.
But good luck until then.
TS
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