A USA TODAY analysis has determined that a typical player for a program receives at least $120,000 annually in goods, services and future earnings for his athletic work.

That $120,000 represents far more than the $27,923 median grant-in-aid, or athletic scholarship, received by men's basketball players at the 120 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

At Butler University — a private school in the Football Championship Subdivision — tuition, room, board and fees are $42,278 for 2010-11, according to the school's website.

"Forty thousand dollars-plus a year to play, that's a pretty good salary for an 18-year-old that has no college education, if you think about it that way," said Butler senior Matt Howard, a finance major and three-time Academic All-American.

But more than scholarships, players receive benefits including: elite coaching; academic counseling; strength and conditioning consulting; media relations assistance; medical insurance and treatment; free game tickets; and future earnings power that comes with some college education.