The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is made up of 1,117 schools, which are divided into 40 conferences.
The NCAA rules govern 90 championships in 24 sports. The NCAA stated purpose is “To govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable, and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.”
If you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that is for sale at a cheap price.
The failure of the NCAA to achieve its stated purpose is not new. Legendary bad behavior of college programs in recruiting, sexual abuse and allowing special benefits from Boosters to athletes have drawn mild punishment. Recently, the California Legislature passed “The Fair Pay To Play Act” which caught the NCAA’s leadership flat-footed. Fearful of at least 10 other states that were considering similar legislation, the NCAA Board of Governors unanimously passed a new policy allowing student athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses “in a manner consistent with the collegiate model” whatever that means.
“Pay-to-play” is a bad title for legislation if there ever was one. In the late 1950s, radio DJ’s were paid by music publishers to play records. If you refused to make “payola” payments, your tune wasn’t heard.
In the 1990s, financial companies made pay-to-play payments to local and state politicians, in order to receive lucrative deals to issue government tax exempt bonds. Believe it or not, doctors were caught receiving “research payments” by competing medical device and drug companies.
Did these payments influence prescriptions and use of these devices in surgical procedures? Reach your own conclusion. This is what monetizing is all about: taking something of untapped value and turning it into money.
Don’t get too upset yet. The California legislation won’t be effective until 2023 and the NCAA’s until Jan. 21, 2021. Plenty of time to develop rules and guidelines for 1,117 member schools.
What are some of the big questions on this new attempt to monetize one of the last remaining pure forms of hero worship?
* Is it fair that everyone but the athletes makes money on college sports? The coaches in many cases have million-dollar salaries. The stadiums sell truckfuls of beer and other food at very high prices. The teams make money for wearing various sporting gear insignia and any other opportunity to make a buck is maximized. One serious injury and all that potential financial success goes poof. So maybe college athletes should receive the money.
* Shouldn’t the athletes who excel have the same opportunity as everyone else to monetize their athletic prowess? Not so sure. If you believe that money corrupts and lots of money corrupts absolutely, then the risk to young athletes value systems should be a concern. One suggestion is that the money be kept in a trust fund and distributed after graduation, using a formula that is fair to all players and that covers athletes injured to the point where their capability to complete their athletic career is eliminated.
* Do you believe that companies and organizations offering these payments will follow the rules when millions of dollars from sales to adoring fans are at stake? There hasn’t been much proof of that corporate responsibility recently.
* Isn’t it enough that the athletes receive scholarships, tutoring, the best dorms, great food, the potential to go pro and be paid extraordinary sums? I assume not in the eyes of the NCAA and the California legislature.
* Where are the bounds of decency? I don’t want to see female soccer stars hawking Victoria’s Secret products or male football heroes telling me that vaping cannabis oil is good for my health.
These are just a few of the concerns that should be worked out during the period of rule development. Let’s hope that NCAA rule makers and the leadership in the member colleges and universities have the wisdom to do this right.
This year is the 100th anniversary of eight Chicago White Sox players throwing the World Series and the thirtieth anniversary of Pete Rose’s forced retirement from baseball for gambling even against his own team.
Temptation. Temptation.
Roger Carlton is a columnist for The Graham Star.