All of the changes have turned the "student athlete" into a semi professional player. I am older and I remember the days when a lot of student athletes used college to move up to a better life. Sure there were players when I was in college who majored in "staying eligible" and were just in school to play sports. But a lot of players got their degrees and had successful lives after sports.
I can remember former players like Tex Williams who use his degree to be a successful teacher and coach. Tex said Marshall gave him the chance to escape the coal mines and there are a lot of former Marshall players who also got their degrees to improve their lives. Marshall gave Jim Davidson a chance and he ended up teaching and coaching in Logan County. From some of the old rumors I use to hear about Jim, he turned out to a great contributor to society. I know a former Ellwood/Sonny player who went on the have a very successful career as a bond trader for a regional brokerage. He used his time at Marshall to prepare for life after sports.
I understand the financial aspects for the current college player. Most of these players will never be in the NFL or NBA so they have a windfall for a short period of time. I just hope some of them had the sense to get a degree to prepare themselves for life after sports. Remember, only about 1.6% of college football players make it to the NFL.