Auburn's New Football Facility Will Feature a Spaceship-Like Lounge, Flight Simulator and Recording Studio

You know, at some point in the near future, we're likely going to progress past the name, image, likeness legislation currently in Congress and get back to the argument of just straight-up paying college football and basketball players. And there will still invariably be those people from the NCAA who make the same cries about amateurism, but there will also be those asking where the money would come from — you know, because these universities are so cash-strapped and all.

And then those people are going to have to answer the question of how they can oppose paying student-athletes when Auburn has a football facility that features a flight simulator and a recording studio.

247Sports — Financed by a “combination of gift funds and university general revenue bonds, with the debt service on the bonds being paid for out of athletics department funds," the project is expected to cost north of $60 million.

$60 million, huh? Apparently the flight simulator and spaceship-looking team lounge industries are doing just fine during COVID.

I actually think this is great. As long as these guys aren't being paid market value for their time and labor — although I do believe that is coming sooner than later — they should at least get to have some cool shit. And Auburn is just trying to keep up with the Joneses. Every new facility that pops up at whatever school it is has the latest and greatest gadgets to aid in recruiting. I haven't even mentioned the barber shop in Auburn's new facility because they're so commonplace now.

But it's time to just drop this whole charade and give these players the money they've earned. The schools seem to think as long as they just keep spending it on stuff like this, they can act like they don't have it. I think every player at Auburn would sign up for a check every two weeks in exchange for slightly less equipment in the recording studio.