OT: Is this the right time to consider decentralized, deregulated college sports?

[Carnac]

NCAA President Mark Emmert said Thursday the time is right to consider a decentralized and deregulated version of college sports, shifting power to conferences and campuses and reconsidering how schools are aligned. Emmert said the recent Supreme Court ruling against the NCAA, along with the lifting of restrictions on athletes monetizing their fame, should be a catalyst to "rethink" what college sports is about.

Emmert: 'Right time' to decentralize NCAA sports

NCAA President Mark Emmert said Thursday now is the "right time" to consider a decentralized and deregulated version of college sports.

www.espn.com

 

[hoopsfan22]

Pretty bold statement considering it's basically a death knell for his own organization, but yeah, what's the point of an organization like the NCAA if local lawmakers can just decide which rules they are going to follow and which ones they object and overrule? The first cut of this will be the breakaway of the P5 which isn't exactly a new idea. They will form their own semi-professional league where they can make the rules as they see fit with the sole goal being profit maximization for all stakeholders.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I think it's always the right time to consider improvements. The problem is the term "improvement" is relative. Assuming, and I feel confident in this assumption, that the same players are involved in the conversation and planning, this will just be a shift in power (aka revenue). When these potentially major changes are considered I always have one cautionary tale. Proceed with care.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I assume Emmert's vision of the new college sports includes some bureaucratic position for him with a big wad of money. If there is someone who should not be in any dialogue over possible restructuring of college athletics its him.

 

[CL82]

I assume Emmert's vision of the new college sports includes some bureaucratic position for him with a big wad of money. If there is someone who should not be in any dialogue over possible restructuring of college athletics its him.

He got his money in the new deal. He isn't going to re-up. So, he'll take the cash and use the "pivot" to justify doing nothing while the NCAA becomes irrelevant.

 

[JellyBean]

Yup. Many of the conference commissioners, especially that one from the SEC...hope I spell it correctly, have been acting like a pack of ravenous dogs at feeding time, wanting the NCAA to get out of the way so these conferences can max out their opportunities.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Yup. Many of the conference commissioners, especially that one from the SEC...hope I spell it correctly, have been acting like a pack of ravenous dogs at feeding time, wanting the NCAA to get out of the way so these conferences can max out their opportunities.

Once the NCAA is out of the way, the big conferences will become pro leagues in football and basketball. They will drop any pretense that these are students in any sense of the word along with academic requirements imposed by the NCAA, and start paying the players directly. They will set up their own tournaments and media contracts where they get to keep all of the revenue for themselves which defrays the cost of the best players/recruits.

 

[huskyd]

Once the NCAA is out of the way, the big conferences will become pro leagues in football and basketball. They will drop any pretense that these are students in any sense of the word along with academic requirements imposed by the NCAA, and start paying the players directly. They will set up their own tournaments and media contracts where they get to keep all of the revenue for themselves which defrays the cost of the best players/recruits.

Whew, this sounds truly transformative--so much so, that if your prediction comes true (major) college sports will cease to be.
What happens to the kids whose shot at an education via athletic scholarship goes away? And the biggest question of all: who's going to pay for all these new pro leagues? Will women's pro leagues survive w/out tangible help from men's?
The fans have an investment, too: they've been loyal (even fanatic) supporters of college teams for many years; where do they go in all of this?

 

[hoopsfan22]

Whew, this sounds truly transformative--so much so, that if your prediction comes true (major) college sports will cease to be.
What happens to the kids whose shot at an education via athletic scholarship goes away? And the biggest question of all: who's going to pay for all these new pro leagues? Will women's pro leagues survive w/out tangible help from men's?
The fans have an investment, too: they've been loyal (even fanatic) supporters of college teams for many years; where do they go in all of this?

Many on this board have said college sports were over when players gained their rights to profit from their NIL. Minor league baseball is still around even though the major league is the main show. D3 college sports coexist with D1. No reason that a new level of college sports can't be formed for just the top 25 or 30 big football and/or basketball schools.

 

[cwaduke]

Yuk