NCAA Opens The Door For ND College Athletes To Earn $

This next story is really hard to believe. It's something that has been talked about forever it seems, but always fizzles out - big-time TABOO in the sports world. There is now talk that college athletes WILL be paid! Not for taking out the trash at their local school library, or getting a paycheck for turning on and off water sprinklers at the football field. The NCAA has softened its approach to college athletes -  and this is something I thought would NEVER happen.

When you think of athletes not making any money, the Olympics, of course, come to mind. But that all changed back in 1992 when the National Basketball Association got involved. College sports has always had strict rules when it comes to athletes - anything from recruiting out of high school to coaches "bending the rules" here and there - resulting in heavy penalties for the universities involved.

Suddenly though, athletes have an opportunity to actually make money through endorsements, as the NCAA has pulled back the reins quite a bit. According to KFYR-TV 

The NCAA has changed a decades-long ban on paying student athletes. Starting this year, college players can be compensated for their talents. Players say this is a step in the right direction, while colleges aren’t signing checks, but are showing signs of concern

Several local athletes have expressed nothing but good things about the new rule -  KFYR-TV reports that Bismarck Larks player and Kansas State student-athlete Kamrom Willman said

                            It’s just helping those guys who possibly can get endorsements and stuff like that, and just make it easier for them to get through four years of college

The concerns are that some players will get carried away with their new perks and try and one-up each other, but isn't that to be expected?  In my opinion, it won't stop the young superstars from leaving college early to head to the pros, but it sure will be a relief, to be able to semi-support themselves.