Most sports fans, particularly college fans, don't give two shits about these athletes as people, may as well be horses.
Horses that just so happen to receive VIP treatment for post secondary education that most everyone else, regardless of income, is not privy to receiving.
What the eff? What is this VIP treatment you speak of, school? Is that it?
It's not just free schooling, which should be the primary concern, what with so very few of them going pro afterwards. It's also the ability to bump other students in and out of classes so that it works better for whatever semester they play in, the regimented and prepared diets while the rest of us eat whatever Kramer is serving that day, the specialized housing, the personalized tutoring that's provided, the ability to have their own class test dates, the elbow rubbing with boosters and donors that leads to a professional network prior to graduation, the intercession of the university on an athletes behalf whenever there are issues with other roommates or a landlord, and misdemeanors that just disappear.
I had friends on the football, baseball, track, rowing, and equestrian teams while at K-State and witnessed each of the above occur at least once in my years there. Now, none of this had any effect on me obtaining my degree. But it's laughable to suggest that your average student has the even close to the same experience that a scholarship athlete does at a major university.