In July 2025, the NCAA will allow schools to pay athletes directly, up to $20.5 million per year—a major shift in college sports. To prepare, Colorado introduced a bill that lets schools use general funds—including tuition revenue—to pay players. Universities argue this is necessary to compete with bigger athletic programs. But this move raises a bigger question: Is this about paying athletes fairly—or about schools taking back control? For years, NIL deals gave athletes independence, allowing them to sign their own endorsements and build their own brands. Schools had no control over that money. But now, if schools start paying players themselves, they can set the rules, add restrictions, and change the power dynamic once again. We've seen this pattern before—when record labels lost control of artists, they fought back with 360 deals and exclusive contracts to regain influence. Now, the same thing might be happening in college sports. If this works, it could redefine how athlet...