Most players are just starting their "careers", almost any HC has been at it a while. College players are in the "stepping stone" place to the next level - same as coaches at smaller colleges. Most every industry has the "pay your dues" period early in one's career. When the "average" college football player in this period is making as much or more than many of the average fans watching - AND those fans are being asked to donate to pay them more - it rubs them the wrong way. People compare where they were at that time in their life - many, many people would have gone through what college athletes go through just for the fun of it - they just didn't have the talent. (and I'm not saying today's college athlete has a cake walk of responsibilities - there is considerable time commitment) but to play sports on a college team and get your school paid for would be a dream come true - whether pro sports worked out or not. Living a typical coaches life - not so much for many. As a HC probably in your 40s, you likely started with low/no pay internships, bounced around every couple years for the last 15-20 years, have poor job security, probably now have children/family issues, weekend work, long hours - I'm not crying a river here, it can be a good life - but someone getting compensated well for this type of work at this stage of life isn't unusual. So seeing 18-21 year-olds getting paid very well for what I would have done at that age for much less - if I had the talent - just seems different. Not sure I would have taken a HC job in my 40's - even if qualified - unless I was compensated like they are. Now I'm a huge free market guy - and the market has changed - college athletes are in more demand and the "rules" now let them get compensated accordingly. The current "rules" for players don't include number of years, buyout amounts, yearly increases, performance bonuses (why is that taboo for players but not coaches) etc. so for me it is not so much that they are getting compensated - even whatever the market amount is - it is the lack of structure and the constant pleading to me as a fan to fund more of that, that is driving me away from the sport.