College players that are opting out the the rest of the

College conferences should have foreseen that this was likely to happen when they were making their decisions at the beginning of the season. 

It's not a bad as the turds that were opting out the Bowl games in prior seasons. I just hope teams take note of it. That the player is apt to boogie when times are tough. Opting out before the season due to medical concerns is different. Opting out because your team sucks should be a red flag.

I'll throw in an opposing view.

A small percentage of college players have a realistic possibility of playing in the NFL. If they make it, and especially if they're drafted, even a single year contract is likely to pay at least 10x what their parents make. Making it to the NFL can be a life changing situation for their entire family, and an injury now could remove that chance. And this year, on top of everything else, football increases their chances of exposure to COVID.

When an entire locker room knows that the season's goals are unattainable, do all of the other players keep practicing and playing with their original intensity, or do they "take plays off." I would argue that openly leaving the team, and taking the negative publicity that comes with it, is a more honest response than staying with a team without giving 100%.

Most colleges and universities will use these athletes to generate revenue without respect for their long term safety and well being. What happens to one of these athletes if they stay with the team and are injured? Is the University going to make up for their long term earning potential?

As for the cost of the education, it's a quid pro quo for which the athletes have been paying with their bodies for 10 years.

Schools are on the winning side of the ledger on this deal at least in BCS conferences so they would never go for it... Students give up their scholarship after the semester anyway... And what you suggest would be the quickest route to a semi pro league forming for players to opt to... I would agree with you if the players were allowed to go Pro out of high school, but we have this strange 3 year deal where players who want to play in the NFL are forced (and yes I mean forced) to spend 3 years out of high school  with the only clear path signing an unpaid contract with a college... Once the players can be eligible to play for money out of high school then I am fine with this approach... You completely discount the 2,3, and even 4 years some of these players have already put in (red shirting and the like) previous to this point... People on academic scholarships can work as tutors, lab assistants, office workers, and other jobs with in the school while receiving and academic scholarship... Athletes do not have the same opportunities due to perceptions of "pay to play" benefits... Your 2 cents is basically supporting a position that would be untenable in "Business"... Education is not supposed to be business...