Originally Posted by
Jderf
What if the stipend was implemented as a form of additional financial aid? In other words, a two, three, or four thousand dollar stipend could be made available to student-athletes, but only the ones who can show that they are actually in need of it. That way, the kids that really do need "movie money" could get it, without having to pay the entire roster of the football and basketball teams. It might also alleviate the issue of non-revenue sports, because it would be easier to offer those teams as well, so long as you don't have to offer it to every single student regardless of needs.
I literally thought of this five seconds ago, so I'm not sure if the idea stands up to scrutiny. But it seems worth exploring, so I figured I'd throw it out there.