Glendale, Ariz. ? Playing in a bowl is no longer reward enough for some college football players: Some Buckeyes and Gators want a cut of the millions being generated by the championship game.

“We all deserve more money,” Ohio State senior guard T.J. Downing said. “We’re the reason this money’s coming in. We’re the guys out there sacrificing our bodies. We’re taking years off our lives out here hitting each other, and we’re not being compensated for it.”

Instead, players from top-ranked Ohio State and No. 2 Florida received portable satellite radios and commemorative wristwatches, first-class meals and VIP treatment at posh resorts.

“I’ve got to admit, sometimes I look in my hand and look in their hand,” Florida defensive tackle Joe Cohen said. “I believe players should get a little bit more than what they’re getting. I don’t want to sound like I’m greedy. It’s just reality.

“I believe players should be paid, because I’m broke.”

Cohen chuckled when he said it, but it’s no laughing matter for the NCAA, which has steadfastly maintained that players – or student-athletes, as the association refers to them – are amateurs and cannot be paid.

But bowls have become increasingly commercial.

Bowl payouts have been mushrooming, too. According to the Football Bowl Association, this year’s 31 bowl games will generate $210 million for NCAA schools.