N C double trouble?
I'm sure by this point you've seen the news on the outcome in the O'Bannon case against the NCAA. I'll let you dive into the background but the idea behind the case is that after athletes graduate from their respective universities, they should get compensation for the use of their images. The NCAA has countered by saying that paying athletes would run contrary to their concept of amateurism.
At the same time you've also seen the big five conferences - Big10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, ACC - gaining more control over the rules that govern them, and making it possible to take better care of their athletes including athlete payment.
I remain on the fence about athlete compensation. I get the reasons behind it, and I understand there are consequences behind it. I'm keeping my finger on the pulse, but for now I'm staying out of the fray until there are more concrete answers.
But I was asked the other day whether or not I believed the NCAA would survive these two blows.
I do. And what follows is my opinion based on nothing more than what I've read and what I've learned.
I believe that there are major changes coming and that business as usual will no longer be business as usual. The current model has run its course and it's time to adapt and grow. But regardless of the ultimate outcome of the O'Bannon case, and with the big conferences splitting off, I believe that the NCAA will still be here 10 years from now, 20 years from now.
I look at this in two different ways. The first is using the FBS football championships as my example.
Prior to the creation of the BCS, the national champion was decided on by a vote. It'd been done that way for decades, and even when it wasn't a satisfying outcome, it was "just how things were done." Then came the BCS where computers would help decide who the two best teams in the country were and those two teams would play for the national championship. It sounded great on paper, but in practice it was a mess. I can't recall a year that there wasn't some sort of controversy surrounding the two teams. Every year it seemed that there were several teams that should be playing for the championship, and there was the talk of smaller programs - mid majors - not getting the opportunity to face the bigger schools. Now, we have a four team playoff. The four teams will be decided on by a committee. I believe that we should have gone eight teams, but now there are playoffs.
In short, the system is not perfect, but it's being worked. I see the current NCAA as the old voting system. Whatever comes next will be a response to these necessary changes. It won't be perfect, but it will be an improvement. And as long as the governing body stays with it, there will be changes, and the system will continue to evolve.
My second example involves the history of the NCAA, something you can download for free - I believe. It's worth doing if you believe that the NCAA is headed down the drain because you'll be quite surprised by what you find.
This isn't the first or second time the NCAA has faced a major issue. It will probably shock you to discover that this isn't the first time the NCAA has had to deal with the idea of pay for play either. Granted, the circumstances have changed a bit, but the ideas are very similar to problems the NCAA took head on earlier in it's history.
In other words, the NCAA has been here before. And has come through. I don't know the extent of the changes, and I'm assuming that there were changes made, but the NCAA is over 100 years old. I don't know if it'll last another 100, but I do believe that it will pull through this.
Regardless, this is an interesting time for college athletics, coaches and athletes. But I believe it's going to be just fine.
At the same time you've also seen the big five conferences - Big10, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC, ACC - gaining more control over the rules that govern them, and making it possible to take better care of their athletes including athlete payment.
I remain on the fence about athlete compensation. I get the reasons behind it, and I understand there are consequences behind it. I'm keeping my finger on the pulse, but for now I'm staying out of the fray until there are more concrete answers.
But I was asked the other day whether or not I believed the NCAA would survive these two blows.
I do. And what follows is my opinion based on nothing more than what I've read and what I've learned.
I believe that there are major changes coming and that business as usual will no longer be business as usual. The current model has run its course and it's time to adapt and grow. But regardless of the ultimate outcome of the O'Bannon case, and with the big conferences splitting off, I believe that the NCAA will still be here 10 years from now, 20 years from now.
I look at this in two different ways. The first is using the FBS football championships as my example.
Prior to the creation of the BCS, the national champion was decided on by a vote. It'd been done that way for decades, and even when it wasn't a satisfying outcome, it was "just how things were done." Then came the BCS where computers would help decide who the two best teams in the country were and those two teams would play for the national championship. It sounded great on paper, but in practice it was a mess. I can't recall a year that there wasn't some sort of controversy surrounding the two teams. Every year it seemed that there were several teams that should be playing for the championship, and there was the talk of smaller programs - mid majors - not getting the opportunity to face the bigger schools. Now, we have a four team playoff. The four teams will be decided on by a committee. I believe that we should have gone eight teams, but now there are playoffs.
In short, the system is not perfect, but it's being worked. I see the current NCAA as the old voting system. Whatever comes next will be a response to these necessary changes. It won't be perfect, but it will be an improvement. And as long as the governing body stays with it, there will be changes, and the system will continue to evolve.
My second example involves the history of the NCAA, something you can download for free - I believe. It's worth doing if you believe that the NCAA is headed down the drain because you'll be quite surprised by what you find.
This isn't the first or second time the NCAA has faced a major issue. It will probably shock you to discover that this isn't the first time the NCAA has had to deal with the idea of pay for play either. Granted, the circumstances have changed a bit, but the ideas are very similar to problems the NCAA took head on earlier in it's history.
In other words, the NCAA has been here before. And has come through. I don't know the extent of the changes, and I'm assuming that there were changes made, but the NCAA is over 100 years old. I don't know if it'll last another 100, but I do believe that it will pull through this.
Regardless, this is an interesting time for college athletics, coaches and athletes. But I believe it's going to be just fine.
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