Everyone blames school administrators, but they are just along for the ride. This is a societal shift where cultural perception of students agreeing to compete for a school for no financial compensation, except maybe some tuition or room & board help, is no longer viewed as a normal expectation despite everyone who ever entered into the arrangement knowing full well of the expectations. This isn't just restricted to athletics; for instance, there has been a complete shift in how graduate students are now looked at as employees instead of being in a training or apprenticeship program. The lawsuits that are codifying these things would have never even been contemplated 20 years ago, let alone actually given credence in the courts. One can agree or disagree with it, and debate why this has changed, but the cultural view of these things in this country has happened fast and it is certainly isn't something that is just restricted to the sphere of the NCAA.
