paid either by the networks or perhaps by the conferences. But they would still have to be students to be on the school's team and therefore paid.

I'm operating under the assumption that getting media revenue to the athletes is both the goal and the way to eliminate (and prohibit) the phony "NIL" that's going on right now. And I think eliminating the schools as the payor would help eliminate Title IX objections to having all male football players receiving substantially more benefits than any female athletes receive.