The NCAA, Amateurism, and California’s New Law

Every once in a while a topic comes up in the writer’s room that generates some decent discussion. Below is once such occurrence regarding the implications of California’s new law to give image rights back to college athletes.

Creighton:

Thought 1- I guess you better use some of that football money to pay players so you don’t fall behind

Thought 2- Lol let’s not pretend college football has competitive balance

We don’t even have competitive balance within our own conferences, let alone throughout all of FBS

jesse: This quote is really out of context

It’s probably not a lot better but he also talks through the entirety of athletic departments and even says he will let other people smarter than him make the rules.

On California decision for players to profit on likeness

“That’s awfully political and I don’t want to get into it too much, but I hope that at the end of the day college football and college athletics survive in a way that allows opportunities for all students that want to compete to compete. I think there’s obviously some points that could be made for athletes being compensated for all the work they put in but I hope is doesn’t destroy opportunities and competitive balance in other things that make our sports fun to watch and what they are. It’s a slippery slope and I hope there are smart people that can navigate it and it ends up in a good place.”

Different feel than that other quote, no?

mnw: NO DIFFERENT; FUCK SCOTT FROST FOREVERRRRRRR

stew: Personal pet peeve: when someone uses slippery slope as an argument against something. All slippery slope arguments are fallacies.

jesse: Sure.

stewmonkey13:

It really has nothing to do with Frost, he’s just bad at coach speak.

Beez: It is a bit bonkers that a Nebraska coach would so self unawarely worry about competitive balance

My man, look at the Nebraska facilities and funding and compare them to other schools

jessecollins: I think he answered off the cuff about college football and there is something to what he’s saying. This really does create P5 and everyone else. Personally fine with this, but every new expense makes cfb less likely to exist outside of the major conferences. We’ve seen that FBS is becoming untenable as is, and this continues that.

Beez: Yeah I’m saying even within P5

jessecollins: I don’t think he believes Nebraska is at a disadvantage per se.

Beez: You have a sport where what happened 30-70 years ago largely dictates the power balance today, and that’s super super unhealthy

jessecollins: Yeah, I 100% agree with that. I also think he’s still stuck in how this affects a school like UCF who is eternally fucked.

stewmonkey13: The stratification has somehow gotten worse in the last 25 years.

The scholly limit was supposed to help. But the shear amount of money has completely blown through any gains the limit had made.

jessecollins: B1G schools get almost $50MM a year in TV money

that’s... something

If you’re playing catch-up, ideally you can try and recruit the gems, but lolol gems

stewmonkey13: It’s gotta be rural places, where scouts just don’t get to

jessecollins: We’re at a point where if you’re getting even MORE exposure because marketing departments, fanbase numbers, etc., we’re going to see less competitive balance.

Which is rough.

Also not wrong because the $50MM

stewmonkey13: It’s almost like it’s following the American economy, as a whole

More stratification and consolidation by the biggest and wealthiest

jessecollins: The situation is dire because there’s not a chance for competition to upset the balance and the labor class is forced into the established system.

stewmonkey13: And they’ve got the resources to adjust to any shakeups in the market

jessecollins: If the world thinks the tech sector is fucked, look at the NCAA!

stewmonkey13: This image thing won’t change anything

jessecollins: lol, no. But it’s logical.

stewmonkey13: Oh yeah, and far more direct and efficient

Gets rid of the unnecessary AD admins

jessecollins: Yes! Look, I don’t give a shit if the schools share revenue. It’s their prerogative to not IF there’s an outlet to compete for money-making by those generating revenue.

So hey, let kids control their image and go toe-to-toe on those rights.

Then the scholarship is the cost of doing business and we’re closer to a normal-ish economy.

stewmonkey13: Yup, better for big donors, too

They get to decide if they want to pay for players directly or if the AD needs a new dorm.

When really it’s a new dorm and 15 new administrators

jessecollins: It’s way less stupid money. Probably worse for raising money for buildings and shit for the school, but again, that’s on them to raise money in a more transparent fashion.

stewmonkey13: Yup, I get facilities. But make sure that’s all it’s going towards

Shit, the smart donors would start tracking ROI.

DJ: I hate the amount of administration education has become. Holy shit there are so many

stewmonkey13: Get more wins/better recruits on what type of spread of investments

jessecollins: I think the actual fear is a CBA with NCAA athletes over their ownership of likeness in something like a ESPN broadcast.

Because that’s the next fight

stewmonkey13: In a time when sports is the king of live broadcasting rights, that’s where the big slice is.

That would get ugly

jessecollins: RIGHT?!?! It’s a really interesting battleground.

And it is probably the crux of the issue. Schools don’t care if athletes were only selling likeness to like, a car dealership.

They just don’t want to share the revenues they get from BTN/SECN etc. That would upset the apple cart legitimately.

stewmonkey13: Hey, WSR, got any thoughts to help clean up this meandering mess?

WSR: State legislators from Illinois and Minnesota came out today in support of passing similar bills. If people think this is just limited to California and we can ignore them, they’re sorely mistaken.

And while this isn’t straight-up paying the players, there will still be substantial work that’d need to be done to make sure nobody’s doing something illegal illegal instead of bullshit NCAA illegal.