He was an Olympic Skier earning sponsorship money and the NCAA declared him a professional athlete, permanently disqualifying him from all further intercollegiate competition. This cut his college football career at Colorado short by two years. The NCAA has since changes their definitions so that, under current rules, Bloom would have been disqualified from skiing on the Colorado University ski team, but he could have kept playing football because he earned money as a skier and not a football player.

I think that case also illustrates why the academic side of the argument is irrelevant. A kid who gets a book published while still in school is not in intercollegiate competition and not subject to the NCAA's rules. These athletes don't have to go to college. They can play semi-pro ball and still make The Show if they know how to properly market themselves to potential employers. It just so happens that playing college ball provides the best chance for going pro, but it's not the only chance. But if the kid chooses to play ball in college, he's got to agree to play by the rules under which the college participates in intercollegiate competition. That means you play by NCAA rules of eligibility or you don't play in college.