Should college athletes be employees of their universities?

I played four years of D1 soccer on a full ride. Let me total what I actually received: tuition, housing, meals, books, elite coaching, strength training, physical therapy, tutoring, travel, gear. That's well over $100,000 a year in value, tax-free, with zero debt. I graduated with a degree and working knees. The employment debate acts like athletes get nothing. We get one of the best compensation packages available to any 18-year-old in America. The NCAA system has real flaws, but pretending scholarship athletes are exploited laborers insults everyone who would kill for that deal. Pay the revenue stars if you want. Don't pretend the package is nothing.