Rockets' Guard Talks Mindset, Modern Landscape of College Basketball

We've seen a major shift in college basketball, as it pertains to the financial infrastructure. Athletes are starting to get compensated for their services.

Which is much deserved. Especially when considering how much revenue they drive for their respective universities. 

And how much they risk by simply suiting up, as it pertains to their long-term financial future. 
Everyone is just a play away from injury.

Players have families. And often times, training for their respective sports is treated as a full-time job. It's only right that they receive compensation for what they're providing for the university. 

Traditionalists don't necessarily like the idea. Because they faced the same fate and didn't receive a dime.

A certain former University of Southern California superstar running back has his Heisman trophy vacated, for receiving impermissible benefits. Former Georgia wide receiver AJ Green was suspended for selling his own game-worn jersey to an agent.

Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant was suspended for 10 games for simply lying about meeting with Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. Changes had to be made.

However, Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet believes the financial infrastructure of college athletics is ruining the sport. He took to the Club 520 podcast to explain.

"I mean, it's so much," VanVleet said. "Bro, you 18 or 19. That's just a lot of money, bro. It's really f––ing up the game in terms of like your mindset. Because my whole mindset was okay I'm going to Wichita. I'm kinda out of the way. We didn't really have no college life. I was in the lab. I was like I'm trying to go to the league. 

"If we would've been getting paid back then, it would have been stupid."

Again, traditionalists don't like the new landscape of college athletics. Because they had to muck it out. Famed college football head coach (and pro football head coach) Nick Saban even testified before Congress in Capitol Hill that the business side of sports is ruining college athletics. 

Saban stated that players were constantly asking him how much money they'd fetch if they committed and signed to his former post at Alabama. The legendary coach felt that his track record of sending players to the professional ranks should've trumped players' desire for immediate compensation. 

But again, making it to the next level is no guarantee. Injuries happen.
One injury can derail an athlete's future.

There's also credibility to VanVleet's point. Players may feel they've made it, if they land a considerable pay day upon choosing which college to suit up for.
But the NCAA had to make this change.