Paying student athletes

For some reason, in this week leading up to Michigan v Penn State, MSU v OSU, Tigers in the ALCS, Wings season starting and everything else related to great sports stuff, there was a lengthy discussion on one of the stations about paying student athletes. I used to be on the side that says they should be paid, but now I have switched. Got older I guess.

First of all, most athletic departments are in breakeven or deficit most of the time. Where would the money come from?

Second, how do you determine who gets what? Do revenue generating sports get paid and non-generating sports not? That seems nice. Doesn't that vary by school - I would think the Michigan hockey team makes some money, but some schools don't have a hockey team, how do you make rule for that? Do the men get paid more than the women, like in real society (which is not right either). Doesn't the women's basketball team at Tennesee deserve more than that men's team? The lacrosse team puts in just as much time as the football team, I guess.

Still, here is the biggest problem I have. I get tired of the primary argument being that the school makes all the money (and Michigan does make a lot) and the athletes get nothing. Do you have any idea how much that pisses me off? If the students get their degree from the University of Michigan for free, isn't that worth something? My degrees, the big one hanging on the wall next to me, cost about $30,000 or so, and that was 12 years ago. It has been worth more than that. So you are saying that is worth nothing?

How bout that?