I really don't understand the argument that college athletes are/were living in poverty. Certainly not more so than other college students (or more than they would have been). I was good friends with a woman's basketball player when I was in school, and she had everything she needed - housing, money for food, clothes, shoes...
Now sure, if you grew up poor, you weren't getting a free car or whatever (and I suppose food during summer break), but they wouldn't have had that anyway.
If I'm missing some angle, I'm happy to listen. They don't have time to get an extra job perhaps, but what do they need the job for? They're getting through college with zero debt.