As the NCAA continues its fight for the continued amateur status of its student athletes, let's analyze the fundamental principle at the core of not only the litigation, but also the internal struggle to evolve.
Facts: The NCAA considers its student athletes to be amateurs. As such those athletes cannot be paid for their athletic talents and performances.
Question: Is amateurism a reasonable standard to which college athletes should be held?
Conclusion: In this instance, the idea of amateurism is merely a construct created by the NCAA to maintain the maximum level of profitability for themselves and their member schools.