I think you raise an excellent discussion opportunity with this article.

Another angle to consider is the eligibility for college athletic scholarships.  If student athletes are paid in college sports, why would athletic scholarship eligibility then be limited for those who have played in semi-pro or quasi-pro leagues?

For example, in college hockey, an athlete is not eligible to get an athletic scholarship if they have played major junior hockey in the CHL.  There are no salaries in major junior hockey, but housing, equipment and travel allowances make the players ineligible for U.S. College scholarships.

Paying college athletes might open colege sports to allowing former semi-pro athletes to enter college on scholarship.  Imagine how that could change the nature of college sports.  It would, in effect, make college sports an entirely different kind of semi-pro sports.