Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
The Washington Post’s John Feinstein — one of the great real sports journalists in America — used the latest, scandalous developments in the NCAA’s investigation of the University of Miami to argue for the dissolution of the NCAA. He is right, and it’s an idea that is long overdue.
I will spare you the arcane details of the NCAA’s investigation of Miami — other than to say that the governing body that administers the arcane, arbitrary, and senseless rules of collegiate athletics is guilty of more serious and substantive misconduct than the school itself.
In the wake of this, Feinstein writes something that rings true to most fans of major college sports:
The NCAA needs to go the way of typewriters, the Edsel and black-and-white TV. Its time has passed. Collegiate sports can no longer be run with an iron fist — especially an incompetent one — or with the quaint notion that Quinnipiac women’s basketball can operate under the same rules as Alabama football.
Exactly. The NCAA has long been a farce of a governing body, more hypocritical and corrupt than the old Soviet Politburo — but with “death penalties” that are only metaphorical, and with fewer pairs of contraband blue jeans smuggled to favored apparatchiks. It is long past time for the commissioners of the Division I-A football conferences (I refuse to use the Newspeak version: “FBS Division”) to convene the football equivalent of a “Continental Congress” and sign a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA. With apologies to our Founding Fathers, I can help them get started …
When in the Course of Sporting events, it becomes necessary for one sport to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with other sports, and to assume among the powers of the gridiron, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Football and of Football’s God (television) entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of college football fans requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that NOT ALL college sports are created equal, that football is endowed by its TV ratings with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Money, Honesty and the pursuit of Playoffs.
Look. The market has spoken: Major college football is a business, not merely an extra-curricular activity of athletic students. Can we stop pretending otherwise? If we did — if we were realistic about what big-time college football has been for decades — this is how I propose it could be reformed in a way that is honest, sensible, and justly governed:
Universities would recuit kids to play football at their school and pay them a stipend, with a maximum amount that all major conferences agree to adhere and publicly report. These athletes would be enrolled in school, but would also be employees of the university, because that is what they are. Something akin to that worked well for me at the University of Pittsburgh. I was a full-time student who was also an employee of the university. I worked in the library and as a dorm desk attendant overnights, while also dedicating many hours a week as a drummer in the marching band and working for the school newspaper.
These athletes would be required to register for enough classes to meet the minimum requirement for “maximum part-time.” They could choose to take full advantage of the academic benefits of their scholarships by enrolling full-time. Who knows? Some of the football players might even enjoy it. And here’s the kicker: Schools and coaches would have a huge incentive to encourage these football players to enroll fully and complete their educations because the school would get extra athletic scholarships for the football program based on the team’s graduation rate. That’s an example of market forces and incentives at work — something the football players might even learn about in class.
But the schools must also let scholarship athletes complete their degrees free of charge after their athletic eligibility is over — either by coming back to campus or taking online courses — up until the age of, say, 35. This would incentivize schools to follow up academically with their former players because these post-college graduates would also count in the graduation rate that comes with more athletic scholarships. More market-based incentives at work!
If the commissioners of the “BCS” conferences got together to declare independence and set up guidelines such as these, the NCAA would either have to capitulate and get a piece of the pie, or declare Division I-A football no longer part of the NCAA. The conferences would laugh at the latter — the NCAA would be foolish to even consider that option, but be the biggest loser in the deal — and should happily acede to the former. There will be plenty of money to go around. Either way, college football fans and common sense wins.
The upshot is that the NCAA would become largely irrelevant, as it must be, to the administration of big-time college sports — which is a business, a lucrative entertainment outlet that is “professional” for everyone but the performers. It would also let the NCAA go back to doing what it was designed to do: elevate club sports to a “sanctioned” level and run tournaments to crown champions of such sports as wrestling, volleyball, and tennis.
Since this is such a good and logical idea, the chances of it happening is about as good as me playing quarter back for Alabama next year. On the other hand, a lot of “smart people” never saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union coming. So who knows? The BCS conferences have all the power. Maybe one of these days they will have the will to use it … and declare their independence from the incompetent and corrupt NCAA.
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Comments:
May '10
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
Here's the problem. No organization can really succeed sharing power and without a clear direction. The NCAA is a house divided among haves, have-nots and sports that have too much influence and those that have none. Add a dash of liberal political correctness and you have chaos.
The NCAA only has marginal control over football. They lost complete control after NCAA v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma (468 U.S. 85) and their control over everything is else is slipping away because the power conferences are no longer just conferences, they are also television rights holders.
There are 1,066 member institutions, but in reality just 249 of them pay all the bills. Since the NCAA makes no money from football rights, it's the basketball tournament that supplies the dough. Of those 249 schools in Division I basketball, 120 of them make up the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) and just 73 of those were in Automatic Qualifying conferences. You can see how this is set up for failure with constant power struggles. (The AQ status goes away after the 2013 season.)
Jul '11
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
The NCAA is crooked. The schools are also more about results than ethics these days which seems to fit the times.
Dec '10
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
The Miami case is a travesty but far from the most egregious NCAA transgression. I was as disgusted as everyone else over the whole Jerry Sandusky scenario and the pathetic reaction by the University. But when the NCAA stepped in - not having performed any investigation at all - and slammed them with huge sanctions, I actually felt a lot of sympathy for the folks in football's most boring uniforms.
Then there is the 2 year old investigation of my beloved Oregon. The whole Willie Lyles case kind of stinks; the Ducks probably did something they shouldn't have. But you know what? At the time it happened, there were no rules in the NCAA rule book prohibiting it. So let's say that the street in front of your house has gotten steadily busier over the past couple of years and the city decides to lower the speed limit from 45 to 30. Can they then go back through all of their traffic cam photos for the past 5 years and issue tickets to people who were going over 30 but under 45? I don't think so.
Throw the bums out!
Oct '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
NCAA reminds me of congress. Those with power and access manage to get their own rules, while those who want power are shut out by the process.
Edited on February 26, 2013 at 11:50pmApr '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
Interesting ideas. I hate the idea of divorcing college athletics from student life, and I think everyone will lose if college football effectively turns into a minor league with no pretense of the athletes being students. It'll definitely be worse for the athletes (except for the superstars, who will always get great opportunities, but most athletes aren't superstars and won't benefit from a stark choice between pursuing their dreams of an athletic career and getting a more practical degree.) Fans will find the game less exciting when it isn't significantly connected to their beloved alma mater, and as fan interest wanes, less money will be made. Lose lose lose.
But the present arrangement is clearly unstable and promotes deception and corruption on multiple levels. Something like what you suggest might preserve much of what we want in college sports, but without all the lying and cheating.
Oct '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
One of the many things I love at Ricochet are the outstanding commenters, thanks all ... and keep 'em coming.
Rachel: College athletics -- at least big-time football and basketball -- is already divorced from student life. Basketball players are "in season" from October through April -- nearly the entire school year. They go on long road trips, especially for conference tournaments. Players in the Big East, or instance, could be away from campus for more time than they are on campus for 45 days if they make the finals of the conference tournament and then hit the road for the NCAAs.
Basketball players see their tutors more than their professors, and do most of their work remotely. The nature of their "jobs" makes them about as separate from ordinary student life as you can get, and is similar for football players. Why not stop pretending they are real students, and make them employees who also go to school ... even if it's just part-time?
May '11
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
College athletics are divorced in a large part from student life with sports specific only dorms. College football and basketball have always been a minor league for the pro leagues. Does anybody really think most of the athletes that are recruited to their schools would be attending there school if they were regular students? Let's stop the pretense of thinking football and basketball players at major programs are just students and not money makers for their universities.
May '10
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
Then add to the mix the the game of conference musical chairs. The University of West Virginia basketball squad will put in 31,000 miles in the air this season after leaving the Big East for the Big 12.
By the time the Big Ten expands to 14 schools there will be 1,283.8 miles between the school farthest east and that farthest west.
Oct '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
EJ, RE: Conference travel.
I was going to mention that in my first comment, but it was already getting pretty long. Think about how absurd the Big East was going to become. Until the Big East started to completely fall apart, Boise State and San Diego State were going to be in the Big East for football.
Distance between San Diego and Connecticut: 2,500 miles.
Distance between Boise and Orlando (USF): 2,190 miles.
They since wised up — since the Big East is now essentially the old Conference USA and will certainly lose its automatic BCS status — and will join the Mountain West. As it is, SMU and TCU are going to join for all sports this fall, and Tulane will join for all sports in 2014. How absurd (and expensive) is it to fly whole teams of non-revenue sports from Texas and Louisiana to Philadelphia and Storrs, Connecticut?
Separate out football. Create four regional mega-conferences. Let a school's minor sports join leagues in their geographical area. Then split the huge windfall from a football playoff.
Jul '10
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
Your model is car racing.
Amateur racing was and is controlled and sanctioned by the SCCA. No one seems to mind, and those competitors run fun racing against each other.
Professional racing is separate, and run by separate sanctioning bodies. NASCAR has long held sway over stock car racing by keeping the owners and endorsers happy, as well as giving the fans the kind of racing they love. So - restrictor plates, limited air devices, engine limits, etc.
Indy cars had problems with the sanctioning body being too arrogant, so they split - and formed their own. It has worked fine for a long time. USAC was unhappy, and has made some inroads toward reconciliation, but Indy cars are still on their own - and the owners are happy. Midget and other sprinters are still USAC or World of Outlaws.
So I would suggest that when the money in the system gets tired of NCAA silliness, they will simply separate. It isn't that hard to do, and doesn't take that much work. Most likely all will be better off.
Oct '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
"One of the great real sports journalists in America?" A great sports journalist wouldn't act as shamefully and shamelessly as Feinstein has in connection with the false allegations against and persecution of the Duke lacrosse players.
Oct '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
Interesting take, Devereaux. I'm not that familiar with the business of auto racing, or much of a fan. I respect the sport, but only really watch Daytona and the Indy 500 every year.
You say that the CART-Indy car "split" has worked. I guess, from a close-watching fan's perspective. But it sure looks like a bad idea from most other perspectives.
When I was a kid, I was a bit higher than a casual open-wheel racing fan. And even casual observers knew that there were legends like Mears and Foyt and Rutherford and Johncock and Sneva and Rahal and Fittipaldi and the Unsers ... man, the sport was filled with stars who were household names. I'm sorry to say, but I really stopped caring after the split. Buddy Lazier and Buddy Rice and Scott Dixon and Sam Hornish ... it's just not the same. Maybe I'm just an old fuddy duddy who thinks the Good Ol' Days are always better.
Wait a minute! I'm not a fuddy duddy. I want to dismantle the college football system. Onward and upward. :)
Dec '10
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
And now with Rick Reilly saying Johnny Football should be allow to make a few bucks off his (nick)name:
The NCAA's hypocrisy and manipulation only serves to teach its athletes the same.
Mar '11
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
The simplest and intellectually most honest solution would be for schools with profit-generating football teams to spin them off into private, for-profit entities, charge fees for using the university's name and facilities, and let the teams hire whomever they choose and pay them a market salary.
But I doubt this would ever happen, because college sports are selling an illusion: that all-but-professional athletes are somehow still scholars in good standing. Fans want to be sold a fantasy, and thus any solution to the scholar-athlete dilemma is going to be messy and unsatisfying.
Oct '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
das_motorhead: And now with Rick Reilly saying Johnny Football should be allow to make a few bucks off his (nick)name:
The NCAA's hypocrisy and manipulation only serves to teach its athletes the same. · 35 minutes ago
That's a great idea by Reilly, too. More market incentives for kids to stay in school. Hell, if you gave all varsity players a small cut of US sales on gear — half now, half when you get your degree — that would pretty much cure a lot of graduation-rate issues.
Oct '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
That's certainly creative. But I think you can find a happy medium between a full professional minor league and college tradition. It is important that these athletes are incentivized to take advantage of their scholarships. The athletes should be more than (literally) glorified part-time and short-term employees — especially since a very tiny percentage of these players will ever make the pros.
In the last 10 years, my Pitt Panthers have produced some of the best, most highly-ranked college basketball teams in the country. The resurgence of the program led to the construction of one of the best arenas in the nation. Yet of the scores of players who wore PITT on their shirts in that time, there are exactly three guys in the NBA — all of them part-time bench players. The rest are glad they have their degrees.
Jul '10
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
Jim Lakely: Interesting take, Devereaux. I'm not that familiar with the business of auto racing, or much of a fan. I respect the sport, but only really watch Daytona and the Indy 500 every year.
You say that the CART-Indy car "split" has worked. I guess, from a close-watching fan's perspective. But it sure looks like a bad idea from most other perspectives...
Wait a minute! I'm not a fuddy duddy. I want to dismantle the college football system. Onward and upward. :) · 1 hour ago
Guys like Bill France ran NASCAR for years because he was very careful to listen to the owners AND to look out for the fans. That combination, while sometimes irksome, yielded great racing - and still does.
Indy car racing was being run by a guy who didn't listen to the owners. The rules changed capriciously, and that cost money and planning. The owners walked.
Not sure the driver issue was a factor of CART vs USAC - just the times. You drove those OLD indy cars, you had a different view of racing.
Aug '12
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
I worked with the NCAA for three years as my institution's Faculty Athletic Representative. The NCAA is a corrupt organization that is far more concerned about money than actual integrity.
The solution of making college athletes essentially minor leaguers is itself a sign of lack of integrity. The whole point of college athletics is amateurism in the truest sense: you play for the love of playing. Athletics at its best should be part of the university's education mission. But of course the John Calipari's of the world show us what a joke that is. He is up front in saying that, essentially, he doesn't give a crap about his players' education. He's just there to win basketball games. And the University of Kentucky loves him.
The solution is to get rid of athletic scholarships. Only those who can make it to the university based on their academic merits get to play sports. The point is not to develop athletes, but to develop people. All the integrity there is in college athletics is in Division II and III. Division I is for people who think winning is more important than being a good person.
Mar '11
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
Jim Lakely: EJ, RE: Conference travel.
Distance between Boise and Orlando (USF): 2,190 miles.
USF's main campus is in Tampa not Orlando. My alma mater, UCF is in Orlando and next year will be joining the big east.
However, what would happen to all the Div 2 and 3 football programs? NCAA still regulate them?
Really if you want to hurt the NCAA the major basketball schools should spin off. That would kill the NCAA, and basketball is really were they have been gaining more and more power.
May '10
Re: Time for College Football to Issue a Declaration of Independence from the NCAA
The current contract between the NCAA and CBS/Turner for the Men's basketball tournament is $771M per year. The total run of the deal is worth $11B.
ESPN pays $18.5M for the women's tournament, the College World Series and 20 other NCAA championship events.