NEW YORK ¨C The debate over paying college athletes has ramped up recently, with March Madness giving the press a perfect opportunity to harp on the unfairness of a billion-dollar business built on the backs of unpaid labor. With all the coverage, you might be sick of hearing about the myth of the ¡°student-athlete¡± and the gaudy salaries and bonuses enjoyed by athletic directors and coaches, but the NCAA itself just demonstrated why it¡¯s necessary to keep this issue in the headlines.

On Tuesday, the NCAA¡¯s legislative council announced a number of small rule changes to advance ¡°student-athlete well-being,¡± including the approval of unlimited meals for scholarship and walk-on athletes. Under the previous rules, players on scholarship were limited to three meals a day or a food stipend, with school cafeteria hours often conflicting with practice and game times.

The changes come a week after University of Connecticut star Shabazz Napier sparked outrage when he told reporters he doesn¡¯t always have money for food. ¡°There are hungry nights where I¡¯m not able to eat, but I still gotta play up to my capabilities,¡± he said, before leading his team to a national championship.