U.S. House of Reps Oversight Committee letter to Mark Emmert

[Carl Spackler]

May 20, 2014

http://i.usatoday.net/sports/college/2014-05-20-congress-letter-emmert-ncaa.pdf

 

[Chin Diesel]

Wow.

This is exactly what the NCAA has been trying to avoid at all costs- oversight by the federal gov't.

By requesting this information, the NCAA and Emmert are liable for a whole host of charges if they are caught lieing, misrepresenting or delaying. And anything other than complete cooperation is just going to cause the committee to dig in deeper. The House has enough staffers to needle the NCAA all day long.

Several, myself included, warned of this possibility. The NCAA's arrogance got in its own way. They had to walk a fine line between extracting as much as they could out of the student athletes but keep it out of governmental officials sightlines.

If nothing else this sets a standard of the legislative branch having authority over the NCAA (Judicial review-ish authority).

 

[nelsonmuntz]

They won't stop at the NCAA. They are coming after the conferences.

 

[Carl Spackler]

The conference leadership of the P5 will be next. It's all about the REVENUE - and college football is outside the NCAA, due to the Supreme Court decision 30 years ago.

Doesn't make the conference leadership immune though.

 

[Stray_Dog]

May 20, 2014

http://i.usatoday.net/sports/college/2014-05-20-congress-letter-emmert-ncaa.pdf

I know this is about UConn and what this article represents to UConn, but I am curious, after reading this article, what is the impact to education. If congress is making this argument now - then imagine, how does the NCAA allow the formation of the P5 which can/could eliminate the service academies from having as much a right to the post season as anyone else so long as they perform on the field. More importantly, how can NC even claim to compete when their rules for admission or worse staying in school are so lax as compared to the service academies. Now how this impacts UConn could be loosely intrpreted on several grounds - Navy is in 2015 going to be part of the AAC a conference that is in the G5. UConn, which suffered a one year post season ban for Basketball and yet in this article it is again loosely implied that not all schools are judged by the same rules. I look forward to seeing how this is going to play out.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I know this is about UConn and what this article represents to UConn, but I am curious, after reading this article, what is the impact to education. If congress is making this argument now - then imagine, how does the NCAA allow the formation of the P5 which can/could eliminate the service academies from having as much a right to the post season as anyone else so long as they perform on the field. More importantly, how can NC even claim to compete when their rules for admission or worse staying in school are so lax as compared to the service academies. Now how this impacts UConn could be loosely intrpreted on several grounds - Navy is in 2015 going to be part of the AAC a conference that is in the G5. UConn, which suffered a one year post season ban for Basketball and yet in this article it is again loosely implied that not all schools are judged by the same rules. I look forward to seeing how this is going to play out.

There are no representatives on that letterhead from Connecticut.

(might be a good idea to forward the letter to your local representative in CT - just to make sure they know about it)

 

[Stray_Dog]

I think it wont reach the other conference leaders as is hoped by some. I think this is a base attack on the NCAA because too many times they have stepped in on one issue while allowing other institutions a pass. The article demonstrates a sense of hypocrisy when it comes to NCAA enforcement of current rules and bi-laws. It further exacerbates its flawed positions when it tries to emphasize its fundamental basis on student-athelete education. And keep this in mind, this article is stressing one thing - FOLLOW THE MONEY! Sure the P5 wants autonomy to guide its own existence and so with the failings of the NCAA what body will step in place to provide this governance? The P5 are already working on their solution. The question I have is weather the U.S government will buy it, reject it, or offer their own say in it. One thing I promise you, the U.S. government wants their share of the money. Give it to them and they don't care what else you do so long as it stays quiet.

 

[Stray_Dog]

There are no representatives on that letterhead from Connecticut.

I meant posting in the BY is about CT not the article itself....sorry for my misspeaking! And I seriously thank you for pointing it out as I would not want anyone else confused.

 

[Carl Spackler]

As I think about these things, and government involvement, is that if there does come to a fracture of the NCAA, or an outright collapse (which makes sense would happen under Emmert's watch) - is that the divide would be dictated along public vs. private university lines. THe government really doesn't have much to get their beaks into with private university decision making, but when it comes to state universities - different story.

 

[WestHartHusk]

As I think about these things, and government involvement, is that if there does come to a fracture of the NCAA, or an outright collapse (which makes sense would happen under Emmert's watch) - is that the divide would be dictated along public vs. private university lines. THe government really doesn't have much to get their beaks into with private university decision making, but when it comes to state universities - different story.

I think the government surely has much to get their beaks into private universities - money. Those private schools don't survive without government backed student loans and grants.

 

[WestHartHusk]

This request may shed some light into some recent NCAA investigations of UConn in comparison to how other schools were investigated. Request 1(c) asks for a description of all NCAA investigations into quality of education and enforcement/disciplinary actions initiated by NCAA against member institutions.

I also appreciate that so much focus is put on UNC and their antics. I can't wait to see what the NCAA turns over (or how they go about fighting this). This is the first poke, I expect Emmert to try to slime his way out of the request, piss off the committee, and ultimately pave the way for a more aggressive inquiry.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I think the government surely has much to get their beaks into private universities - money. Those private schools don't survive without government backed student loans and grants.

very true. Much more direct route though, with publics.

 

[Chin Diesel]

As I think about these things, and government involvement, is that if there does come to a fracture of the NCAA, or an outright collapse (which makes sense would happen under Emmert's watch) - is that the divide would be dictated along public vs. private university lines. THe government really doesn't have much to get their beaks into with private university decision making, but when it comes to state universities - different story.

That's why they're going after the NCAA who has the information on all of its member institutions. It's going to be tough for the NCAA to say they receive full data from public universities like UConn, UNC or Texas but that they don't track information from privates like Syracuse or Northwestern, and that the NCAA can measure both types of universities equally.

 

[Carl Spackler]

That's why they're going after the NCAA who has the information on all of its member institutions. It's going to be tough for the NCAA to say they receive full data from public universities like UConn, UNC or Texas but that they don't track information from privates like Syracuse or Northwestern, and that the NCAA can measure both types of universities equally.

And for the same reason, why the conference leadership of the FBS football division will be next for inquiry - the letter to the Emmert is almost entirely about revenue distribution around college basketball among all collegiate institutions.

The P5 conferences - and their leadership (and their relationship with Disney/ESPN) is responsible for the revenue distribution among the entire country of schools participating in FBS football.

 

[CL82]

Isn't this an interesting development? Certainly seems that a lot of the hypocrisy that gets talked about on this board is going to be reviewed.

 

[Kolumbo]

Love how UNC is called out. What is worse, having a student who under performs in a legitimate class, or having a student attend a fraudulent class? So much hypocrisy, where to begin.

 

[noeynox]

There is a lot of juicy questions in that i myself always ask, when these buffoons always try and hide behind the presrvation of amateurism in college sports. The salaries of the coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, and even the ncaa prez himself are a direct contradiction of the term amateur athletics.

I realize that all this threatens college sports as i have grown to love it, but the greed exhibited by the power brokers in cfb has really gotten out of hand. The P5, have been reading the tea leaves and are preparing to jump off the ncaa ship if this thing implodes on itself.

Interesting where the term “student athlete" originated. How bout the ncaa claiming they have no responsibility to care for injuries incurred by the student athlete. Just wow.

 

[sportsart]

Hey Emmert...

 

[Carl Spackler]

There is a lot of juicy questions in that i myself always ask, when these buffoons always try and hide behind the presrvation of amateurism in college sports. The salaries of the coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners, and even the ncaa prez himself are a direct contradiction of the term amateur athletics.

I realize that all this threatens college sports as i have grown to love it, but the greed exhibited by the power brokers in cfb has really gotten out of hand. The P5, have been reading the tea leaves and are preparing to jump off the ncaa ship if this thing implodes on itself.

Interesting where the term “student athlete" originated. How bout the ncaa claiming they have no responsibility to care for injuries incurred by the student athlete. Just wow.

I don't think this is any threat to intercollegiate athletics. It's a real threat - to the existence governance structure, and to those that would advocate for the huge divides that exist in intercollegiate athletics around revenue streams though.

The real threat to college athletics lies with the decision around the Northwestern football players move to unionize, and the Chicago based authority that approved it. That is a problem, that hopefully, fair and balanced minds will figure out and remove. The concept that an enrollee at an academic institution, either paying tuition, or receiving financial aid to attend classes - be considered an "employee"? That's where the concept of intercollegiate athletics ends.

The rest of this is pure beuracracy and greed out of control. It's all about money. Revenue earning, who keeps it, who shares it, how is it distributed and why.

It all comes down to the mission of an institution of higher learning. Academics and Athletics - go hand in hand. It has for centuries back to ancient times, and the earliest evidence of educational institutions. Athletics and Academics - together. In the modern world, there is a lot of dough to be made around athletic competition, including intercollegiate athletic competition. That's what all this mess is about, and it was held in check mostly, by the NCAA and the CFA cartel until the mid 1980s. The greed and mess has gone wildly out of control in the past 30 years, as predicted.

There are very valueable lessons about life and existence that can be learned in athletic competition as well as in the classroom. I firmly believe that any decent education involves athletics and physical competition and performance as well as academic cerebral classroom performance.

For this, I'm proud to be a UCONN alum. That mission has remained intact at UCONN, save a short period of time, for the men's basketball program under Jim Calhoun. THe mission continues to be intact. UCONN will survive all of this, because of the value of the education UCONN provides, and UCONN will continue to compete for championships, whatever league it may be, and because I really think that most UCONN sports fans, attend games to see UCONN -not to see whomever we're lined up against that particular day.

As Geno said, not too long ago about UCONN....paraphrasing......"whatever....UCONN is in a league of our own anyway."

 

[Husky25]

Hmmm. Does this letter act as an enforceable subpoena or FOI request? It will be interesting to see how the NCAA answers it. Some of the info is public knowledge and can be gleaned from the NCAA's Form 990, and the NCAA can throw individual institutions under the bus by answering that it up to the school to make sure their athletes are eligible and provided with an education.

I too am pleased to see the UNC charges being investigated (The NCAA stated that it was out of their jurisdiction because the "classes" were offered to the general student body and not just athletes), but I fear that not too much new information that is not already public, will be made so.

At the end of the day, this quite possibly is more Congressional hijinks; an exercise of appearing to do something where nothing gets done.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Hmmm. Does this letter act as an enforceable subpoena or FOI request? It will be interesting to see how the NCAA answers it. Some of the info is public knowledge and can be gleaned from the NCAA's Form 990, and the NCAA can throw individual institutions under the bus by answering that it up to the school to make sure their athletes are eligible and provided with an education.

I too am pleased to see the UNC charges being investigated (The NCAA stated that it was out of their jurisdiction because the "classes" were offered to the general student body and not just athletes), but I fear that not too much new information that is not already public, will be made so.

At the end of the day, this quite possibly is more Congressional hijinks; an exercise of appearing to do something where nothing gets done.

I agree. What turns congressional hijinks into actual action though, is people reading, writing, and talking about things though. That's the beauty of the U.S.A.

 

[CTMike]

My first reaction : yeah! Get that corrupt organization and tear it down!

Second reaction : somehow this will get spun to make UConn look bad.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Hmmm. Does this letter act as an enforceable subpoena or FOI request? It will be interesting to see how the NCAA answers it. Some of the info is public knowledge and can be gleaned from the NCAA's Form 990, and the NCAA can throw individual institutions under the bus by answering that it up to the school to make sure their athletes are eligible and provided with an education.

I too am pleased to see the UNC charges being investigated (The NCAA stated that it was out of their jurisdiction because the "classes" were offered to the general student body and not just athletes), but I fear that not too much new information that is not already public, will be made so.

At the end of the day, this quite possibly is more Congressional hijinks; an exercise of appearing to do something where nothing gets done.

It's a request as long as the NCAA gives them everything they want. If not, it'll become a demand.

Kinda like when you're boss asks a favor of you. It's usually best to jump on the grenade as a favor than it is to be told to jump on the grenade.

 

[whaler11]

Some funny stuff in the letter. Oh the schools don't spend on academics... well they are public institutions maybe write them a letter.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Some funny stuff in the letter. Oh the schools don't spend on academics... well they are public institutions maybe write them a letter.

I don't think there is anything funny in there, and I have no idea what you mean by "they are public institutions maybe write them a letter"