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 .