Some students are incurring debt so that fellow students can play sports that they're now getting paid for

Private equity firms are investing in college sports programs as student-athletes gain compensation rights, raising questions about fairness in higher education funding. At James Madison University, students paid $11,689 in mandatory athletic fees between 2022 and 2026, with 36 percent of the student body taking loans partly to subsidize sports; JMU's football roster costs an estimated $1 million annually, while peer institutions like Ohio State spend $49–54 million on player payroll. The opinion piece questions whether it constitutes sound public policy for debt-burdened students to underwrite increasingly professionalized athletic programs where some competitors earn six-figure compensation.