This school year, the NCAA will allow athletes to earn money from their likeness. That’s a good, positive change that will reward top athletes for their hard work while promoting their respective sports and teams.

However, some have advocated for NCAA teams to pay the players directly. That includes former Sports Illustrated journalist Jeff Pearlman, former New York Times opinion columnist Joe Nocera, former Slam magazine editor Russ Bengtson, and the Mountain Party of West Virginia (a Green Party-affiliated group), among many others.