Critics say NCAA panel's basketball recommendations fell short of 'decisive action'
In the wake of news last fall that the FBI was investigating corruption in college basketball, NCAA President Mark Emmert spoke of “decisive action.” He said it was not the time for “half-measures or incremental change.”
Emmert formed what was called a Commission on College Basketball and installed former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as its chair. The commission’s report announced Wednesday sounded more like half-measures than decisive action to David Ridpath, the president of The Drake Group, which lobbies for reforms in college athletics.
“I heard some good things today,” said Ridpath, a professor of sports management at Ohio University. “But it doesn’t go nearly far enough. I didn’t think Condi Rice was going to come out and really come up with wholesale changes. I think some of the recommendations were good, though.”
When asked if the commission’s recommendations fell short of the sweeping change Emmert spoke of last fall, Ridpath said, “I think that’s kind of what they did.”
Ridpath welcomed the commission’s acknowledgment that change was necessary. The commission called for the abolishment of the one-and-done rule (something that the NBA and its players’ association must do) and more severe penalties for rule breakers.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the NBA and its players’ association did not expect to change the one-and-done rule before the 2020 NBA Draft.
The commission also “punted” on the issue of allowing athletes to profit off their names, images and likenesses, Ridpath said.
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, a frequent critic of the NCAA, said he did not care for the “moralizing tone” of the commission clinging to the concept of amateurism and saying that a scholarship was adequate compensation for players.
“I agree with the commission that a scholarship is a really valuable and wonderful thing . . . ,” Bilas said. “But non-athletes receive scholarships all the time, and they’re not told to drop to their knees and be thankful for it.”
Ridpath and Bilas pointed out that college athletics makes billions of dollars. “And the only ones that are not able to participate in that business are the players,” Bilas said.
Bilas said he found it “ironic” that Rice was a member of Augusta National Golf Club, which plays host to the Masters each April.
“One of the things I admire so much about the Masters is they do not over-commercialize it,” he said. “They limit the amount of commercials. And they have strict guidelines as to how their property can be used and portrayed. Augusta National Golf Club could make so much more money if they wanted to. But they choose to limit the amount that they make based upon their values.”
By contrast, the NCAA tries to maximize the money-making potential of college sports through such actions as contracts with apparel companies and television rights contracts, Bilas said.
“Look, the NCAA holds its tournament in a football stadium,” the ESPN analyst said of the Final Four and on occasion, regional sites. “That’s maximizing revenue, brother. . . .
“I thought the commission fell short in acknowledging that, and pointing out to the NCAA, ‘If you’re concerned about money in the game, maybe you should start paying attention to the amount of money you’re making and the choices you’re making.’”
Seth Davis of The Athletic and CBS, also noted that pay for play was not recommended.
“There is nothing in here that recommends, calls for or even hints at compensating athletes directly for their athletic performance,” Davis tweeted. “If you expected otherwise, you have not been paying attention.”
As for recruiting, the commission stopped short of not allowing college coaches to attend summer events sponsored by shoe companies. Instead, the commission called for shoe companies to be more financially transparent with regard to recruiting events.
Jerry Meyer, a recruiting analyst for 247 Sports, reacted to the commission’s recommendations with a shrug. “I think any of us could have come up with these ideas without a commission,” he said.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari tweeted Wednesday that he had minor surgery on Tuesday and had not studied the commission’s recommendations.
UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart issued a statement of support. “I appreciate the hard work of the commission,” he said. “We are evaluating the recommendations. We will continue that process with the member schools of our league as everyone involved works toward solutions to improve our game.”
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey issued a similar statement.
“We are grateful to the Commission on College Basketball for its diligent work and clear support of the educational value of collegiate sports,” he said. “The Commission rightly focused its attention on a number of key issues affecting the sport, including agent certification and access, the one-and-done rule, grassroots basketball, and increasing the accountability applied to individuals and institutions who fail to meet the expectations for integrity in college athletics.
“While the report and recommendations won’t solve all of our challenges overnight, this represents an important step in a process to restore confidence in this great sport. We will now engage with our membership in evaluating the Commission’s proposals and providing constructive feedback to support the Division I Board of Directors decision-making process.”
Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White said the commission’s “valuable insight and recommendations provide a starting point a blueprint so to speak, for the future of college basketball.”
Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he would participate in a conference call staged by the National Association of Basketball Coaches on Thursday. The NABC would issue a statement later in the week, he said.
“We have consistently said that we’d like to see substantive change in college athletics, particularly within our sport,” Krzyzewski said in a statement, “and this appears to be a starting point for further discussion among the entities who touch basketball at all levels.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Critics say NCAA panel's basketball recommendations fell short of 'decisive action'."