Brian Bosworth says he's actually on the NCAA's side when it comes to the controversial Calif. bill that would help athletes get paid ... telling TMZ Sports it's a BAD idea!!
"When you're in college," Bosworth says, "you're going to college to get an education."
Of course, the Boz is the LAST guy we expected to have this take ... remember, at Oklahoma, he famously blasted the NCAA by wearing a "National Communists Against Athletes" shirt at the 1987 Orange Bowl.
But, when we got the ex-LB out at Reagan Airport over the weekend ... he told us he's now on the org's side in its fight against a bill that would force it to stop punishing athletes who get paid.
"You got some guys on the team that have star status, and other guys on the team that are going to feel shafted," the Boz says. "I don't think it's a good idea to put levels like that on the team."
Instead, Bosworth's solution to the whole problem is simple -- just give athletes in both women's and men's sports the same stipend ... and let that be all the pay they need.
"Everybody gets the same thing across the board," Bosworth says.
Seems like both Brian and NCAA are fighting a losing battle ... the CA bill is set to go into effect in 2023 -- and Sen. Cory Booker has said he's fighting to make it a national law too.