With March Madness having drawn to a close, college teams are already preparing for the coming season. In particular, where the class of 2013’s unanimous top pick, Andrew Wiggins, will attend remains a hot topic. Amidst this, a more pressing question remains to be answered, not only regarding the utility of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), but also the recruiting practices and the state of college athletics.
The NCAA is the governing body for college athletics. It performs such functions that range from regulating athlete recruitment, compensation and hosting competitions. The organization’s practices have often been called into question when athletes or programs run afoul its rules.
ESPN writer Gabe Neitzel comments, “The NCAA is setting a double-standard of what they expect from their members… However, the same standard isn’t set or followed by NCAA president Mark Emmert.”
No doubt, media has a large impact on the NCAA. Games are broadcast over dozens of channels, and video games are licensed by Electronics Arts. But this influence has also led people to believe money and advertising have become too public and removes the purpose of an athletic program designed for students. Also, schools are so competitive with the win and loss columns that there does not seem to be a bond between the coach and players. Instead, money has created an environment where schools are fighting to get to the top and gather the most revenue.
On the topic of money, Neitzel also says, “Universities are taking advantage of athletes by signing huge TV deals, and then not having to pay the athletes. [Although], athletes can take advantage of the university, by getting a free degree, and leaving college debt-free.” The way Neitzel has drawn it out, as long as money is involved, the college sports system will be corrupt.
In a sports blog, user tag “Payday Loans” commented, “The NCAA is corrupt because it doesn’t want to slow down the gravy train… to appease TV sponsors, and the current NCAA President Mark Emmert has an impressive record of increasing revenues wherever he went, even though corruption always follows him. The real current problem is that the NCAA doles out punishment arbitrarily… for political expediency, and to make a big splash and examples of lesser and little revenue-generating teams, while the big money generating teams and subsequent violators… get away with violating all types of amateur rules with impunity.”
In many situations, schools will count on their most successful and revenue-generating sports to move into Division I. In such a move, the school may even abolish teams that generate less revenue. This situation again raises doubts about a college sports system that supposedly believes in “protecting the student-athlete.” Rather, in his article, “Tainted Love,” Grantland editor Jay Caspian Kang writes, “…the integrity of a gassed-up institution… involves nothing more than financial audits and sanction against the programs that dare violate its self-selecting and narrowly enforced laws.”
Kang also discusses that many blindly choose between “the joy of college sports and the ugly reality of the institution that runs the whole thing.” According to Bloomberg News, the approved four-team college football playoffs system may generate up to $500 million annually in television revenue. This massive amount of money is enough so that it practically encourages the NCAA to violate the “now-laughable ethic” of scholarships.
Yet, when it comes to asking for a university athlete’s autograph, such a seemingly small act can put an athlete’s eligibility in peril. The conflicts start with just a small child asking for an autograph, but if the autograph ends up on eBay, it could also end an athlete’s school sports career. Per Law 12.5.2.2, “if the memorabilia is being sold or promoted using a student athlete’s name… the student athlete or the institution acting on behalf of the student athlete is required to take steps to stop such an activity in order to retain his or her eligibility for intercollegiate athletics.” Oddly enough, the NCAA can use players to promote a game or sport and make a large amount of profit; but when sellers market player autographs, it may put an athlete’s eligibility and the institution in peril. It is exactly such allegations that suggest that money may be playing too much of a role in college sports.
The association also expressed concerns over apps like Instagram. Such photo filtering apps raised questions about its ability to alter a picture to represent something more than it actually is. This feature gives college athletic coaches the ability to filter campus snapshots and make them appear more attractive to attract possible recruits. In fact, on Oct. 12, 2012, the NCAA labeled this feature, called Insta interference, “an illegal game changer” in their Education Column. This online document explicitly told what is allowed and not allowed when it comes to the recruiting process and photos. One query sparked immense controversy when the association stated, “A photograph that has been altered or staged for a recruiting purpose cannot be sent to a prospective student athlete.”
Controversies pertaining to misconduct in the recruiting process are common as well. Recently, a case was filed against three Miami coaches and a booster for misconduct in recruiting. Furthermore, the NCAA also accused assistant football coach Aubrey Hill and basketball coach Jorge Fernandez of providing “misleading information during the probe into Miami athletics” and being in violation of Rule 10.1, stated the NCAA in a release. Starting with booster Nevin Shapiro, the NCAA stated that Miami had a “lack of institutional control” for failing to monitor their boosters, the NCAA said in a letter. Shapiro was named a convicted felon for sneaking cash, gifts, and accessories to players for over eight years. He is now serving a 20 year prison term. In addition, basketball assistant coach Jake Morton was also cited for accepting “supplemental income” from the $930 million fraud scheme. The case will be presented to the national jurisdiction later this year on behalf of Hill, Fernandez, and Morton addressing their cooperation with this scheme.
A Florida state lawmaker told CBS Sports the case is like “a witch hunt.”
“I think the biggest thing with colleges is that they just really want to get the best players possible and so they are going to do whatever they can to get those players,” says senior David Manoa.
Senior Sam Bowman, who will be doing rowing crew next year for Duke University, says, “… Something the school can do is offer you an athletic scholarship, like they did for me. That way, it will give coaches the right instead of sneaking money or transactions… Also, they can offer incentives to the scholarship. For examples, each year the scholarship can increase from like sophomore to junior…”
Boys varsity basketball coach Sam Manu adds, “Whenever you deal with people, you will have challenges. And [with] fame, the challenges multiply. And [with] money and revenues, the challenges rise almost exponentially. The NCAA is evolving with its size. Hopefully it will have leaders with integrity to address these mistakes it is bound to make.”
