In the US there is a nationwide debate about amateurism and the NCAA. The non-profit NCAA reaps billions of dollars will the players are not paid a salary.

What if the NCAA treated college athletes the same way many academic departments provide vocational training for their students… interns.

My friend was near the top of her class at a top-tier law school.  She spent the last two summers of her graduate studies lawyering in New York City. While there she was paid the same pro-rata share she would as a first-year lawyer at a large firm in a major metropolis (approx. $3,100 a week). If paid that rate she would’ve grossed $160,000 for a year. She was paid a fair wage for the work she did and, when she had graduated, she was hired by the same firm at the same salary… all trained-up and ready to go. Approximately 8% of new law graduates go into biglaw, the overwhelming majority of whom are from the top law schools.

How does this apply to a college athlete? I propose that professional leagues draft and compensate the student/ athlete at any age. The NCAA would not play any part in it other than allowing said student/ athlete to compete in the NCAA.

For example, the New York Jets could draft Bobby, a 17-year old 5★ senior linebacker from Ann Arbor Huron high school who has signed as letter-of-intent to attend the University of Michigan. The Jets would pay Bobby a set salary and provide health insurance for as long as he is playing college football. When he is done playing NCAA football he either makes the Jets or pursues another career.

Bobby would know when, and if, it is time to leave college since the he has a relationship with his NFL team. They would let him know whether to leave or stay.

*It should also be noted that law school tuition is generally around $50,000 a year, not including living expenses so the big numbers are somewhat tempered by the presence of law school loans.