NCAA Shares a Little Wealth

Before we begin, I’d like to offer a brief update on the Nike Belichick situation, detailed at length in a previous blog; ESPN requested Nike as an analyst for their 3 hour (not a typo) Schedule Release special. His owner, Bill, proved to be the thorn in his side this time, rejecting the request, apparently with some whimsical excuse about 3 hours being ridiculous and a dog not being able to hold a microphone. 

Moving on.

Up until now, college athletes haven’t been allowed to accept any money from any outside source during their time at college. Whether that’s advertising for a local donut shop, or accepting a small loan from a family member; just ask this year’s 2nd overall pick in the NFL draft, Chase Young. He had to sit out a game for this exact reason. 

The governing body for college sports, the NCAA (*boo*), recently announced that they will allow college athletes to negotiate sponsorship deals from third-parties. Essentially any deal that doesn’t involve the University themselves paying the athletes to play, therefore maintaining their amateur status. The players still won’t be allowed to benefit from jersey sales or anything with the school logo on it. This is despite college football coaches sometimes being the highest-paid public employee in the state. However, this is a positive step as it means that the players will have a means to make money whilst in college.

This new agreement in principle has been seen by some as the NCAA trying to hold back the flood on eventually paying the student-athletes to play. Others see it as the first logical step in that direction. As per usual, it depends on what side of the line you are. Another complicating factor in this apparent moral shift from the NCAA is that a bill was introduced in Congress that would challenge the NCAA’s tax-exempt status if they didn’t allow students to cash in on their fame. Those with a skeptical eye would see this as a more realistic reason for them suddenly having a change of heart, however, through various state legislatures, the pressure has been building and this appears to have finally hit breaking point.

 Your heart would bleed for the NCAA (a not-for-profit remember) if they were to lose a slice of the $1billion pie that they have baked themselves. Can you imagine the NCAA having to hand out papier mache trophies to players covered in more bling than an episode of MTV’s ‘Pimp My Ride’; doesn’t bear thinking about.

Now that we’ve covered just how much of an oxymoron the NCAA being a not-for-profit organisation is, let’s have a look at some of the endorsement deals that would have made a lot of sense over the past few years.

• Aches and pains that won’t go away? Why not try Keen4Green, brought to you by Josh Gordon.
• Got yourself into a dicey situation and need some legal advice? Contact Kansas City’s own Hunt & Hill Attorneys

To wrap up, it only seems fair that the real stars of the show, the athletes, are allowed to translate a life in the spotlight from a young age, into some financial success. Especially when they are the key cogs in a billion-dollar industry that often has higher viewing figures than their professional counterparts.

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