Major college football coach says athletes, society 'softer'

The comments came after a practice where only two of the Mountaineers' running backs completed practice, per Mike J. Asti.

Rodriguez is in his first season in his second stint with WVU. Things were a little different when he last coached the Mountaineers in 2007. There was no NIL, and coaches had more power over players in their program.

Rodriguez thinks coaches and players are spoiled in the modern era of college football, as shared by Anderson.

"Have you been through this building? Have you seen how we eat? They got it pretty well," Rodriguez said. "They live in a fantasy world. Coaches do, too. We want for nothing. 

"You want food? You want medical health? You want job help? You want financial help? Cold tubs? Hot tubs? We even got an ice cream machine...free! Probably even got the sprinkles to put on it. They got it pretty good, and now they're getting paid."

College athletes do have it better than ever, at least materially. Based on the lucrative TV contracts surrounding the sport, the product hasn't suffered despite the increasing entitlements for players. 

But that can easily change if the new generation refuses to practice.