OT - Big Ten considers making all freshmen ineligible

[Antiprodigy]

Why is the NBA a problem? Why are an infinitesimal amount of players that leave after a year or two a problem? The entire point of college is to prepare you for a career. If a drama major gets a big role and leaves school, the school is proud and no one says there's a problem of drama majors not taking school seriously because they all want to go to Hollywood or Broadway.

Sorry that I didn't make my post clear. When I said NBA problem, I was referring to the NBA having the problem. The owners have made it very clear that they would prefer to not allow one and done's. It is understandable from their standpoint, as the less training a person has, the bigger the unknown they are. The owners would prefer at least a two and done system, and this would be an end around, as they will never get any traction from the players association to move to a two and done system.

Personally, I have no interest in the NBA. I do not like their product. I very much prefer college basketball. Therefore, my total interest is in a better product in college basketball. I think this would make for better games and higher skill levels all around.

I am not opposed to players eventually getting paid to play the game. This doesn't stop players from getting paid. Multiple posters have mentioned several options for players who want to be paid as early as possible. But, just like people, each college is primarily looking out for it's own best interest first, not an individual player's interest, especially one who makes up such a small percentage of the total number of kids who play the game at the college level.

IMO, it is in the best interest of the schools to have kids who want to stay in school and get an education. And if it is in the best interest of the schools, it is by extension, in the best interest of the conferences.

I may be the lone supporter on here, but I stand by my opinion that all P5 conferences should do due diligence on this or some similar idea.

 

[NKR1978]

Sorry that I didn't make my post clear. When I said NBA problem, I was referring to the NBA having the problem. The owners have made it very clear that they would prefer to not allow one and done's. It is understandable from their standpoint, as the less training a person has, the bigger the unknown they are. The owners would prefer at least a two and done system, and this would be an end around, as they will never get any traction from the players association to move to a two and done system.

Personally, I have no interest in the NBA. I do not like their product. I very much prefer college basketball. Therefore, my total interest is in a better product in college basketball. I think this would make for better games and higher skill levels all around.

I am not opposed to players eventually getting paid to play the game. This doesn't stop players from getting paid. Multiple posters have mentioned several options for players who want to be paid as early as possible. But, just like people, each college is primarily looking out for it's own best interest first, not an individual player's interest, especially one who makes up such a small percentage of the total number of kids who play the game at the college level.

IMO, it is in the best interest of the schools to have kids who want to stay in school and get an education. And if it is in the best interest of the schools, it is by extension, in the best interest of the conferences.

I may be the lone supporter on here, but I stand by my opinion that all P5 conferences should do due diligence on this or some similar idea.

I apologize for sort of sounding more aggressive than I meant to. I just doubt the motivation of anyone associated with big time college sports. Though I do like the idea of making kids who aren't academically ready for college to sit a year and acclimate to the academics and catch up.

I disagree that the NBA owners need to be protected from their own stupidity, but that doesn't really bother me either way.

 

[Jake]

The B1G isn't dumb, there has to be an angle here.

My guess is it's the Anti - calipari angle.

Let's say for instance every P5 school fields both a freshman and varsity squad...and there are TWO simultaneous tournaments. One for freshmen, and one for the varsity with the NCAA.

Calipari can win the freshman tournament every year, and everyone else competes in the real dance.

This also completely screws to non P5 schools who can't afford to fill both squads.

There is nothing the B1G does that isn't about money and championships. There's no way their gonna take their schools out of the Jalil Okafor sweepstakes every year.

 

[pfister1]

If you really want to take a pro education stance stopping taking kids who have no desire to get a degree just because they are great basketball players. If you can't bring yourself to adopt that stance then just shut up and let them play.

 

[NKR1978]

The B1G isn't dumb, there has to be an angle here.

My guess is it's the Anti - calipari angle.

Let's say for instance every P5 school fields both a freshman and varsity squad...and there are TWO simultaneous tournaments. One for freshmen, and one for the varsity with the NCAA.

Calipari can win the freshman tournament every year, and everyone else competes in the real dance.

This also completely screws to non P5 schools who can't afford to fill both squads.

There is nothing the B1G does that isn't about money and championships. There's no way their gonna take their schools out of the Jalil Okafor sweepstakes every year.

It will just push many of the top 15-20 guys to Europe or Asia.

100% agree that the B1G has an angle. Which makes their comments that this all about the student athlete even more nauseating.

Edit: the boneyard is actually good for something. If this goes through, how will P5 conferences field teams with only 85 scholarships.

 

[NKR1978]

If you really want to take a pro education stance stopping taking kids who have no desire to get a degree just because they are great basketball players. If you can't bring yourself to adopt that stance then just shut up and let them play.

Or let them major in basketball or football. Instead of forcing them to learn subjects they don't care about, teach them money managment, communication and language skills, and try to prepare them for the world after college.

 

[SWC75]

I hope they don't make it retroactive.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Jay Bilas ‏@JayBilas
These proposals on freshman ineligibility are laughably stupid: http://bit.ly/1GbSJAR Not only that, they're elitist and discriminatory.

 

[RandygoCuse]

I'd rather see a system where if the player is in good academic standing after 4 years, he can play another year. Schools get academic incentives and it might even help the smaller programs where the best players are not NBA bound but can get a year more experience.

 

[Full_Rebar]

The B1G isn't dumb, there has to be an angle here.

My guess is it's the Anti - calipari angle.

Let's say for instance every P5 school fields both a freshman and varsity squad...and there are TWO simultaneous tournaments. One for freshmen, and one for the varsity with the NCAA.

Calipari can win the freshman tournament every year, and everyone else competes in the real dance.

This also completely screws to non P5 schools who can't afford to fill both squads.

There is nothing the B1G does that isn't about money and championships. There's no way their gonna take their schools out of the Jalil Okafor sweepstakes every year.

I'm sure there is an angle, but what incentive would there be for the non P5 to go along with them? That's the flip side for the autonomy that the P5 has pushed for and the AAC could position themselves as the home for the 1 and dones...unless the P5 are also shutting those schools out of the Tournament.

Maybe that's the ultimate move...

 

[NKR1978]

I'd rather see a system where if the player is in good academic standing after 4 years, he can play another year. Schools get academic incentives and it might even help the smaller programs where the best players are not NBA bound but can get a year more experience.

MSU athletic director tweeted something similar.

 

[pfister1]

Seems to me that there is an elephant in the room that keeps growing larger and larger. The elephant is that Intercollegiate Athletics in multiple sports (basketball, football obviously - but even the traditional non-revenue sports to a lesser degree) is no longer an amateur pursuit engaged in by kids that are attending school in order to get a college education. (How many kids did the SU soccer team have move on to professional careers after this season when they still had remaining eligibility?)


Maybe the solution is to significantly reduce the number of schools competing in Division 1 and make it a professional division. Call it the P5, or don't limit it to just the P5, but make schools competing in that division hire their athletes and pay them using a salary cap system. You let them be the minor league franchises that they are currently acting as. If you do this Schools don't have to give up the piles of money they are currently chasing in the name of intercollegiate competition, but you could level the playing field to a degree.

You could give kids playing at these schools the option of playing for pay or for a college education or a combination of the two. The kids wouldn't attend any school now, just train for their sport. They would get the opportunity to cash in the college education portion of their compensation after they complete their playing career, whether the playing career includes a professional career beyond college or is simply a traditional four year college type of playing experience.

 

[CU44SE]

This is simple, the B1G wants to be proactive and come off as academic institutions first, a way of giving less money and say to the players. They want to prevent future lawsuits like the obannon case and clearly state they are academic institutions and when you commit to us you are selecting an education first and not for athletic reasons.

 

[Cusefan0307]

This is simple, the B1G wants to be proactive and come off as academic institutions first, a way of giving less money and say to the players. They want to prevent future lawsuits like the obannon case and clearly state they are academic institutions and when you commit to us you are selecting an education first and not for athletic reasons.

The problem with the B1G is they think they ARE the NCAA, and they run the show.

 

[Flacusian]

The strategy is that by doing so they would have a plausible built in alibi for not being good.

 

[Flacusian]

I guess any really top flight talent would then be known as "None and dones"

 

[Conrad13]

Seems to me that there is an elephant in the room that keeps growing larger and larger. The elephant is that Intercollegiate Athletics in multiple sports (basketball, football obviously - but even the traditional non-revenue sports to a lesser degree) is no longer an amateur pursuit engaged in by kids that are attending school in order to get a college education. (How many kids did the SU soccer team have move on to professional careers after this season when they still had remaining eligibility?)


Maybe the solution is to significantly reduce the number of schools competing in Division 1 and make it a professional division. Call it the P5, or don't limit it to just the P5, but make schools competing in that division hire their athletes and pay them using a salary cap system. You let them be the minor league franchises that they are currently acting as. If you do this Schools don't have to give up the piles of money they are currently chasing in the name of intercollegiate competition, but you could level the playing field to a degree.

You could give kids playing at these schools the option of playing for pay or for a college education or a combination of the two. The kids wouldn't attend any school now, just train for their sport. They would get the opportunity to cash in the college education portion of their compensation after they complete their playing career, whether the playing career includes a professional career beyond college or is simply a traditional four year college type of playing experience.

I have a complete 180 on this issue over the past couple of years, but now I think that your system is a good one. I agree that this only works for a small portion of schools. I was a Division III athlete and think that the current system works well for athletes where there isn't a possibility of a professional league. I particularly like your idea of offering a life time offer of a full ride scholarship. Universities like to claim that they are providing educations to students who wouldn't otherwise get it. Allowing them to return to finish up their coursework for free would be a sign of good faith.

 

[jekelish]

If this ever went to the SEC, poor Kentucky wouldn't even be able to field a team.

 

[tipphill]

I imagine the plan would be to have freshmen teams like the old days.

that is correct --from on who remembers the old days---which believe bing and boeheim (and many of us)were a part of

 

[kirbivore]

If you really want to take a pro education stance stopping taking kids who have no desire to get a degree just because they are great basketball players. If you can't bring yourself to adopt that stance then just shut up and let them play.

That's why I'd like hoops to use the same system that baseball does. If a kid wants to go pro after high school, be it here or overseas, go for it. All the kids who choose to go to school have to wait 3 years to put their name back in the draft.

 

[dyedorange]

Updated article, with hilariously contradictory quotes from Morgan Burke, Wake Forest AD: http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...anges-freshman-eligibility-national-consensus

Such as: "I, for one, as a Big Ten AD, am tired of being used as a minor league for professional sports."

And also: "Making sure that education is first is written in the Big Ten history book [What's that? You don't have a copy of the Big Ten History Book? Let me share with you, brother...just look in chapter, uh...where is it...um. I know it's in there somewhere!...uh...derrrr...]. We want to promote discussion to look at what we might do to make sure that the education piece is front and center."

So which is it: A) you want to attract players that are not going directly to the pros and therefore serve your own interests by stabilizing your programs with long-term assets, I mean, athletes, or B) help the students academically, by giving them a "Year of Readiness", which I've never heard anyone suggest as a necessary or even useful idea. I mean, if it's about academics and providing another year for your students to get up to snuff with the materials, maybe you should be recruiting more STUDENT/athletes instead of student/ATHLETES...

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

That's why I'd like hoops to use the same system that baseball does. If a kid wants to go pro after high school, be it here or overseas, go for it. All the kids who choose to go to school have to wait 3 years to put their name back in the draft.

Should do the hockey system. Can get drafted and go to training league at 16. Can start college up to age 21, if you are not going anywhere as a pro.