The Commission on College Basketball will share its recommendations Wednesday, April 25

[Scooch]

I almost stopped reading when this quote was in the 2nd paragraph of the story I read...

"We need to put the college back in college basketball," commission chairman and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday at a news conference in Indianapolis after the independent panel released a detailed 60-page report.

Puh-leeze. The NCAA has an eleven BILLION dollar TV contract for March Madness. The notion of this sport being anything other than a massive, quasi-professional revenue generator is at best naive, and at worst highly cynical.

But hey, I remember how clean college hoops was before the one-and-done rule was implemented. Don't you all? No recruiting violations, no paying players under the table, it was a land of unicorns and rainbows I tellz ya.

On a more serious note, the only thing in their recommendations that I think would make a meaningful difference is adopting draconian penalties for coaches. I would expand that to ADs as well. I get that there shouldn't be lifetime bans for a coach when a player gets a free meal or whatever. But when a guy like Bruce Pearl is allowed back in the game... when Rick Pitino can be interviewing for jobs this spring... it's insanity. Set a high threshold, adjudicate it with third parties with substantial legal bonafides, and harshly punish the coaches and ADs who knowingly tolerate meaningful rules violations. I bet you'd see things get cleaned up pretty quick if coaches and ADs knew they'd be banned for life.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Hoo's That]

{snip}

Puh-leeze. The NCAA has an eleven BILLION dollar TV contract for March Madness. The notion of this sport being anything other than a massive, quasi-professional revenue generator is at best naive, and at worst highly cynical.

{snip}

And the D-3 field hockey players are eternally grateful for the NCAA playoffs meal money it provides. And the D-2 football players are eternally grateful for the NCAA playoffs hotel rooms it provides. The D-1 MLax and WLax players are eternally grateful for the NCAA playoffs airfare it provides. I hope you've caught my drift by now.

 

[moqui]

"We expect that these [athletic apparel] companies will insist that all employees provide detailed accountability about such expenditures and cooperate with new NCAA rules about financial transparency and accountability."​

lmfao

 

[shantydaze]

So, if this isn't on the NBAPA's plate until 2020 draft at the earliest (which, the NBA has no urgency issue here as there isn't a financial incentive) and the NCAA wants to wash their hands completely of the dozen or so prospects annually who fit this bill, why not change the LOI, or related document. Make the contractual language clear and concise that if you sign this document, and do not stay for more than one year, etc. (a la a 2 year commitment similar to cell phone contracts, etc.) you need to refund the cost of your scholarship (remaining commitment) even place an additional penalty/fee for doing so.

These select few one and doners have absolutely no interest in going to college, and only go because they can't go to the NBA currently directly out of high school. Let them all go to the G league or overseas, etc. for a year, just get them the hell out of the college game. Good riddance!

I do not think an option that specifically targets the athletes will fly. Instead, if you want to end OADs, make coaches recruit them competitively disadvantaged. The easiest way of doing this is with scholarships. Absent exceptions for health issues or family issues, make all scholarships count for two years regardless if the athlete stays for two years. So, it looks four of Duke's freshman scholarship players are leaving for the NBA. Their scholarships would need to remain unfilled until the end of next year, effectively reducing Duke's scholarship number from 13 to 9.

Would this stop all OADs? No, but it would certainly require coaches to consider whether a one year player is worth the loss of a scholarship the next year. In some cases, I would say it certainly would and a program having one OAD player every two years might be okay.

 

[MikeSU02]

Didn't see this posted yet. Sorry if it was.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Didn't see this posted yet. Sorry if it was.

How do coaches prepare for this?

 

[Cheriehoop]

How do coaches prepare for this?

They can’t unless they ‘save’ scholarships for players who may never attend. It would be nice if players were honest and upfront when they are recruited and offered a scholarship.

 

[orangecuse]

I do not think an option that specifically targets the athletes will fly. Instead, if you want to end OADs, make coaches recruit them competitively disadvantaged. The easiest way of doing this is with scholarships. Absent exceptions for health issues or family issues, make all scholarships count for two years regardless if the athlete stays for two years. So, it looks four of Duke's freshman scholarship players are leaving for the NBA. Their scholarships would need to remain unfilled until the end of next year, effectively reducing Duke's scholarship number from 13 to 9.

Would this stop all OADs? No, but it would certainly require coaches to consider whether a one year player is worth the loss of a scholarship the next year. In some cases, I would say it certainly would and a program having one OAD player every two years might be okay.

This may work. Although, I want the OAD's out of the college game completely, as again they couldn't care a less about academics. As JB has mentioned as well, we are only talking about a small handful annually of players that fit this bill anyways.

 

[jncuse]

...

 

[jncuse]

This may work. Although, I want the OAD's out of the college game completely, as again they couldn't care a less about academics. As JB has mentioned as well, we are only talking about a small handful annually of players that fit this bill anyways.

Let's be honest here. The NCAA doesn't give two craps about academics either. They just want to find a way to get these elite moneymakers to stay at school longer.

 

[jncuse]

The shaming of players in some of these posts is shameful.

 

[Alsacs]

The NBA and NBAPA just need to adopt the college baseball rule but for just 2 years instead of 3.
Let kids go out of HS and the NBA should expand rosters to 16 to give the PA another 30 members.

Also give every player on scholarship a travel stipend which allows their parents a system to travel to games and be reimbursed.

 

[MikeSU02]

They can’t unless they ‘save’ scholarships for players who may never attend. It would be nice if players were honest and upfront when they are recruited and offered a scholarship.

I appreciate this view. I just think that when you are dealing with a monopsony (not monopoly) in the NCAA, you have to use leverage whenever you can, as a recruit.

Yes, be honest and upfront so coaches can set up contingency scholarships, but at the end of the day, you have to look out for #1. The schools and coaches will drop kids like a rock in the right circumstances and have wielded almost all of the power.

NCAA and elite schools became too comfortable in their position in this system and they stopped innovating as times changed.

I think people are underestimating the impact of what would happen if every single McDonald All American went to the G-League would have on college basketball. At the end of the day, you want talent. The tournament would still be entertaining because its a million games at once, but the regular season would get even worse.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

They can’t unless they ‘save’ scholarships for players who may never attend. It would be nice if players were honest and upfront when they are recruited and offered a scholarship.

I actually think it would be cool. A team like UK would have to tell guys to scram since the entire team declared and only 3 of them were drafted and there is no longer any room at the inn.

There would be a 2nd post draft June/July recruiting wave of guys who lost their scholarships because an undrafted player came back. Mid majors would be relevant again. As long as noone had to sit a year because an undrafted NBA player returned and took their scholly it would be good for everyone. Let them be eligible immediately and they end up in a better spot with a team that actually wants them and wants to play them not have them warm the bench.

Even drafted players should be offered the option of delaying signing their contracts for a year and returning to college.

I don't like to bring up the R word but it is the ONLY explanation for why hockey players can get drafted and play NCAAs and football and basketball players can't. The ONLY explanation. Its time to change that.

 

[jncuse]

Those that are anti-agent providing loans from agents? Why? It would solve many problems.

It would provide a legal way for these kids to get money their family desperately need, and it gives them an option to develop 2,3 or 4 years as players/students/people if they so desire.

 

[jncuse]

Why are we blaming players for one and dones, when big time coaches are actively pursuing them to come to their school with a pitch that is purely focused on getting around academics.

 

[orangecuse]

Let's be honest here. The NCAA doesn't give two craps about academics either. They just want to find a way to get these elite moneymakers to stay at school longer.

Fans who turn out/watch these college games on TV, etc., overwhelmingly do so because of the names across the front of the jerseys, not the backs. "Only the name's have changed"...or so the lyric goes...

Taking the alleged "elite moneymakers" OAD's out of the college game will have no affect whatsoever on the $$$.

 

[jncuse]

Fans who turn out/watch these college games on TV, etc., overwhelmingly do so because of the names across the front of the jerseys, not the backs. "Only the name's have changed"...or so the lyric goes...

Taking the alleged "elite moneymakers" OAD's out of the college game will have no affect whatsoever on the $$$.

So why are the most powerful money making schools going after them? After all they don't make money for the schools per you, it is all the brand.

 

[Antiprodigy]

Those that are anti-agent providing loans from agents? Why? It would solve many problems.

It would provide a legal way for these kids to get money their family desperately need, and it gives them an option to develop 2,3 or 4 years as players/students/people if they so desire.

I am not for or opposed, but I did think of one argument. I definitely could see agents steering players to particular schools. This is probably no different from what is already happening, but just thought of it off the top of the head, so decided to throw it out there.

Money is the basic problem. If it is involved, it will corrupt the system. Adding more money to the system is likely to increase the extent of the corruption. The system has been corrupt for a very long time. The public was once very naive to all of it happening, but it was still happening. I just think people are more cognizant of it these days.

 

[shantydaze]

So why are the most powerful money making schools going after them? After all they don't make money for the schools per you, it is all the brand.

Because the more successful the name on the front of the jersey, the more money to fill that name's coffers. All else being equal, the names on the back are interchangeable for many fans at all levels of sports, including college basketball.

 

[OttoMets]

...
On a more serious note, the only thing in their recommendations that I think would make a meaningful difference is adopting draconian penalties for coaches. I would expand that to ADs as well. I get that there shouldn't be lifetime bans for a coach when a player gets a free meal or whatever. But when a guy like Bruce Pearl is allowed back in the game... when Rick Pitino can be interviewing for jobs this spring... it's insanity. Set a high threshold, adjudicate it with third parties with substantial legal bonafides, and harshly punish the coaches and ADs who knowingly tolerate meaningful rules violations. I bet you'd see things get cleaned up pretty quick if coaches and ADs knew they'd be banned for life.

Yep, ADs like Gene Smith. Who happened to be on this commission.

Not much hope that they're going to do the right thing here.

 

[Col. Bleep]

Money is the basic problem. If it is involved, it will corrupt the system.

The bottom line is always the bottom line.
There's waaaaay too much money involved today to focus on most other issues.
Schools AND coaches AND AD's need to face major financial consequences for violations.
Yes, personal financial liability.

One point for which I don't see merit is allowing undrafted players to come back to school.
Why?
They chose not to stay in school to pursue a dream.
College teams should not be held hostage to the NBA's talent assessments.

 

[cuse10]

So what, that's the risk they take for not honoring the more than one year commitment. It won't hurt the game at all because it only affects a select few who are truly one and doners. The college game doesn't need them a bit, it will survive. If the kid breaks his commitment, and gets to the NBA the following year, he'll have the means to pay it back. If the players stay the minimal two year period (an example) they have nothing to worry about from a financial standpoint, relative to the refund, etc.

Again, these one and doners have absolutely zero interest in college, especially once they have cleared the 2nd semester eligibility requirement. If they want to go pro right out of high school, go to the G league or overseas...it'll at least put the onus on the NBAPA to act more swiftly, if they act at all.

I'm okay with their likeness model, or a percentage of it, etc. If they want to benefit from their likeness, shirts, jerseys, etc., they should have some skin involved in the overhead, etc. to produce it.

Do we expect coaches to pay back their salary if they quit? Why should kids who see a chance to impact their earning potential? We don't do this to non-revenue sports or the general student population, but revenue generators who are mostly Black are held to rules that no one else across the NCAA is.

 

[SoBeCuse]

A whole lot of nothing what this committee said. So vague. There are so many more specific issues and layers which weren’t even discussed. Most of the Sirius people this morning thought it was incredibly vague.