NCAA Player Compensation

A friend of mine, Jon, sent me an email last night about a blog I should write concerning player compensation. While I am on the fence about paying NCAA athletes, the idea is definitely something I have thought about. Jon's family immigrated from England, so he is a soccer fan by birth, but has a new found love for college football over the past few years since he has "seen the light". The email Jon sent is posted below:

You should write a blog on how the NCAA should allow a small position stipend that's the same for all colleges nation wide. Something like:

QBs:

1 on the depth chart - 5K a year
2 on the depth chart - 3K a year
3 on the depth chart - 1K a year

RBs:

1 on the depth chart - 4K a year
2 on the depth chart - 2K a year
3 on the depth chart - 1K a year

Whatever. Something along those lines. The numbers would be designed via a committee, and maybe you don't make distinctions between depth chart position. Maybe QBs all get 5k a year or something. Heck, maybe every player gets a few K a year.

Surely they can come up with some system that is better than the current one. AJ Green is gonna be a multi-millionaire in two years, but he feels he has to sell his freaking jersey now to get some extra cash? Meanwhile, UGA pulls in millions a year because of the players on that team. It's ridiculous.

I think he has a decent point here. How about Tyrone Prothro several years back? Do you think he was primed to make millions before his career ended in one sad play? What are your thoughts?