The NCAA just walked away from its own mess

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

The NCAA downsizes and "decides" to let the various divisions to govern themselves.

Basically the NCAA is saying: We're not going to get destroyed by an antitrust lawsuit, so good luck guys. Peace out.

NCAA ratifies new constitution, paving way to restructuring

 

[Raebo]

“The wealthiest and most powerful football-playing conference, such as the SEC and the Big Ten, do not want to be held back from spending their riches on athletes.”

The above quote caught my eye. Maybe we won’t have contracts for payment based on performance or position or sport but they already get up to $500 a month for something called “cost of attending college” so I can see something like that going up to 3 or 4 thousand a month or a similar fund.
Just make it a semi pro league with age limits and make attending classes optional.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

“The wealthiest and most powerful football-playing conference, such as the SEC and the Big Ten, do not want to be held back from spending their riches on athletes.”

The above quote caught my eye. Maybe we won’t have contracts for payment based on performance or position or sport but they already get up to $500 a month for something called “cost of attending college” so I can see something like that going up to 3 or 4 thousand a month or a similar fund.
Just make it a semi pro league with age limits and make attending classes optional.

I think that was the whole point of Alston v NCAA that the NCAA couldn't set a "cost of attendance" limit, so it will go up for athletes. I think that anything (laptops, trips abroad to study, etc) are now possible if the school can show them as an "educational expense."

The NCAA was about to get sued repeatedly until athletes were declared professionals and employees of the schools which leads to the whole thing falling apart as "student athletes."

The NCAA just bailed, it seems, and left it up to D1, D2, D3 to work out their path and rules. It's really one step closer to the football side of the SEC and B1G stepping out, aligning with the NFL, and creating a Developmental Pro League that has little to do with college other than the name, venue, etc.

 

[SGMVols]

I don’t think trying to decouple athletics from universities would be successful at all. I think a lot of folks would lose interest in supporting UT athletics if they were no longer associated with UT. I probably would myself. People who want to spend their money on pro football will go to NFL games.

 

[Firebirdparts]

One would assume so. If you go by the viewership and popularity of minor pro league sports, one could assume that consistent pattern will not be wildly violated. The popularity of college football and basketball is impressive.