NCAA amateurism died Thursday after a long battle with hypocrisy.
It was more than a century old.
It will be remembered by decades of success, but also by the one-sided greed that defined its overdue demise.
Foreshadowed by repeated crushing legal losses and a too-late rush to modernize, the NCAA in an inevitable yet still stunning move now embraces the idea of its wealthiest member institutions paying players directly. This would be in addition to the name, image and likeness offerings players already can earn from third parties. The new revenue-sharing dollars could join the funnel of new money flowing to athletes as early as 2025.