I know these types of stories pop up from time to time, but perhaps The Ohio State University debacle will finally get some action going.

Not punishment to the Buckeyes — which will come by the bucketful soon — but the entire topic of paying college athletes.

The subject has been the buzz lately and it comes up a lot, but nothing every comes about it.

Maybe now it finally will.

The fact is it’s Ohio State, one of the traditional college football powerhouses. This wasn’t a small school that went rogue to be great or one student-athlete getting caught with one car. It’s it’s so much more.

How the NCAA decides to punish Ohio State — head coach Jim Tressel has already resigned and six players, including Jeannette High product Terrelle Pryor, were handed down five-game suspensions to open next year.

Those players exchanged equipment and memorabilia and bowl rings and other items for services, such as tattoos.

At first, I understood this. Kids without a lot of money need some and decided to sell off trinkets and other items like jackets and shirts for something.

It seems harmless. the kids have no use for it and let’s face it, the NCAA is making a killing off these kids. They’ll sell their likenesses in advertising, video games, whatever they see fit. They fill their coffers with big bowl money and the entire bowl system.

They’ll tout that student-athletes get a free education and that’s worth a lot. It is. An education is one of the best gifts a person can ever get.

But that doesn’t buy you toiletries and food for your dorm or apartment or a pizza while studying for finals. The dining hall for athletes is not open 24 hours.

Some kids aren’t fortunate enough to have parents drop a 20 in the mail each week. And the amount of time they spend on their sport is amazing.

We are not just talking about football and basketball. They bring in the most money for the school, but all athletes will need to be included. They will need to be given a stipend.

I know, semantics.

Being ‘paid’ almost sounds dirty, but players should be given a certain allowance each week, nothing large because, left to their own devices, you’re never sure what a kid might do.

A debit card or a cashable check at any campus bank would work. Picking an amount seems arbitrary, but maybe along the lines of $50 or $100 a week, just some ‘walking around money’ or ‘WAM’ in their pockets.

No system is perfect, but these student athletes put a lot on the line for their school and should get something. It would not solve the problem entirely, but could curtail a lot of the smaller ones.

The Buckeyes story is getting deeper and could hurt the program for a few years. Paying college athletes a little seems to be a small price to pay for the greater good.

SamTallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.