[Genuine Realist]

The answer to whatever difficulties you do perceive is not to go back to a system in which kids are cut off from legitimate commercial opportunities (and these are legitimate). It's to abandon amateurism altogether, so that pro franchises and sponsor groups can make direct investments in an athlete's professional potential. You restrict the NCAA to issues of academic probity, transfer rules, and the like. 

You create an environment in which an 18-year-old can advance his life on all fronts, where no choice is required, and where poor kids can actually do something for dependents while finding out something about themselves and the world, which is what ideally happens in college. There is no downside.

Yeah right.  I mean in the real world, you've got the police & the FBI & all other sorts of forces trying to keep a level playing field.  With millions of dollars being dangled in front of those 18-year olds,  just go laissez-faire.    Why would an athlete worry about violating the rules of an organization that only deals with the students. There will be no cheating by coaches, parents, boosters, NIL sponsors, gamblers, gambling organizations, athletes.  It's just money, not academics.

Unfortunately, you may be too right when you say they find out something about themselves and the world.  But with plenty of downside.

The reason for all the shenanigans is that the rules are just ludicrous.

Think Prohibition.

[Genuine Realist]

The answer to whatever difficulties you do perceive is not to go back to a system in which kids are cut off from legitimate commercial opportunities (and these are legitimate). It's to abandon amateurism altogether, so that pro franchises and sponsor groups can make direct investments in an athlete's professional potential. You restrict the NCAA to issues of academic probity, transfer rules, and the like. 

You create an environment in which an 18-year-old can advance his life on all fronts, where no choice is required, and where poor kids can actually do something for dependents while finding out something about themselves and the world, which is what ideally happens in college. There is no downside.

Yeah right.  I mean in the real world, you've got the police & the FBI & all other sorts of forces trying to keep a level playing field.  With millions of dollars being dangled in front of those 18-year olds,  just go laissez-faire.    Why would an athlete worry about violating the rules of an organization that only deals with the students. There will be no cheating by coaches, parents, boosters, NIL sponsors, gamblers, gambling organizations, athletes.  It's just money, not academics.

Unfortunately, you may be too right when you say they find out something about themselves and the world.  But with plenty of downside.

The reason for all the shenanigans is that the rules are just ludicrous.

Think Prohibition.