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Going to tweet through the Knight Commission meeting on NCAA reform. What's the over/under on how many times they use the word "guidelines"
Nancy Zimpher starts off: governance of NCAA D-1 has not kept pace with advances in the commercial space.
3 recommendations:
1) Create a new separate entity to govern FBS football, independent of the NCAA
(Um...this doesn't sound very "amateurism-ish"
)
3 recommendations:
1) Create a new separate entity to govern FBS football, independent of the NCAA
(Um...this doesn't sound very "amateurism-ish"
)
2) NCAA govern all other sports under reoganized governance system; establish equal voting representation for all D-1 conferences (replacing weighted voting)
-- NCAA D-1 MBB tourney retained in current structure
-- FBS institutions remain full D-1 members in everything but FB
-- NCAA D-1 MBB tourney retained in current structure
-- FBS institutions remain full D-1 members in everything but FB
3) Adopt 10 principles that recognize college athletics as a public trust
-- Prioritize educ, health & safety
-- prohibit pay for play but alllow NIL like other students
-- Demonstrate advancement to racial/gender equity
-- Hold presidents accountablefor leading ath dpts
-- Prioritize educ, health & safety
-- prohibit pay for play but alllow NIL like other students
-- Demonstrate advancement to racial/gender equity
-- Hold presidents accountablefor leading ath dpts
(I missed some of the other 10 principles, but I'm sure they can be found at @KnightAthletics website)
Michael Cross reviewing how we got to the convoluted governance structure of the NCAA and particularly FB.
I can sum it up in a gif
I can sum it up in a gif
Cross: D1 budgets ranges from $4m-$220m in 2019 (In FBS the range is $16m -$220m)
[Remember this when they say lifting NIL restrictions will affect "parity" - it's absolute bollocks to claim that a current $216m delta somehow represents fairness]
[Remember this when they say lifting NIL restrictions will affect "parity" - it's absolute bollocks to claim that a current $216m delta somehow represents fairness]
Talking of "everyone is broke how can we pay athletes" Cross just reviewed a chart that shows the total FB head/assist coach salaries have increased to $496m.
FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX MILLION US DOLLARS.
FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETY SIX MILLION US DOLLARS.
[Cross is making great points, but none of this sounds like you are discussing an "amateur" system]
Cartwright: The end game is to separate FBS football from the rest of the system. (Would create NCFA - National College Football Association)
[Y'all this basically recognizes college football as the business it is without accounting for unpaid labor. Man...]
[Y'all this basically recognizes college football as the business it is without accounting for unpaid labor. Man...]
Cartwright: Benefits of the NCFA: most effective suggestion of reform because D-1 can make change on its own w/o federal/state approval.
Also, WBB/MBB revenue will still support other sports (paging @HistoryRunner
)
Also, WBB/MBB revenue will still support other sports (paging @HistoryRunner
)
PARDON ME WE JUST HIT THE MAGIC BUTTON!! NCAA would no longer be responsible for legal liabilities related to football.
Oh, we're coming back to that one because I have things to say.
Oh, we're coming back to that one because I have things to say.
Peter Roby (Former AD, Northeastern):
AD's had questions, he's giving answers:
Change wouldn't impact structure of athletics on campus
Affect Title IX? - claims it must comply c/ Title IX but doesn't say how moving football affects that (I'm sorry, WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?)
AD's had questions, he's giving answers:
Change wouldn't impact structure of athletics on campus
Affect Title IX? - claims it must comply c/ Title IX but doesn't say how moving football affects that (I'm sorry, WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?)
OK, there's a lot of "directives, guidance, priorities, values" and basically it was like listening to a management consultant talk about "blue sky thinking" and other jargon that really doesn't mean anything.
Jacques McClendon (fmr Tenn player) - more seats at the table for athletes; highlights underrepresented demographics of aths in decision making (specif Black athletes).
He's not wrong, but I'd need to see how that would actually play out because it sounds real "pie in the sky"
He's not wrong, but I'd need to see how that would actually play out because it sounds real "pie in the sky"
Arne Duncan: If we don't make the changes, it will "be in the hands of Congress and the courts to decide."
[What you are seeing is the NCAA freaking out in real time. They are scared to death that Congress will restore basic economic rights to athletes]
[What you are seeing is the NCAA freaking out in real time. They are scared to death that Congress will restore basic economic rights to athletes]
Going into a Q&A. Will highlight any that seem relevant.
What is the reality on whether D-1 leaders will agree to this?
Perko/Cartwright both reference changes made in the past that were thought to be "pie in the sky" but we implemented just fine.
What is the reality on whether D-1 leaders will agree to this?
Perko/Cartwright both reference changes made in the past that were thought to be "pie in the sky" but we implemented just fine.
Zimpher: Knight Commission wants to play a mediating role to facilitate change if needed. It will take collective will to get it done right.
Questions re Title IX: How will this offer more gender equity if you separate football?
Yes please, tell us how??
Yes please, tell us how??
Perko answers re Title IX - regulations still apply campus wide so separation of
Roby reminds that Title IX is a federal requirement (as if that has been dispositive in the past
)
Roby reminds that Title IX is a federal requirement (as if that has been dispositive in the past
)
What incentive P5 conferences have to give up their weighted power?
Perko: survey had P5 respondents, but overwhelming maj said they need big solutions and leadership requires looking at big picture. It's up to us who know the system theto do the reform rather than Congress.
Perko: survey had P5 respondents, but overwhelming maj said they need big solutions and leadership requires looking at big picture. It's up to us who know the system theto do the reform rather than Congress.
Q: Does Knight Comm have an opinion on how it plays out?
Cartwright: We laid out the principles and don't want pay for play, and aths should get benefits tethered to education. Not just about reorganizing entity.
Cartwright: We laid out the principles and don't want pay for play, and aths should get benefits tethered to education. Not just about reorganizing entity.
Q: Will this make schools MORE likely to drop sports?
Perko: removing FBS makes sense because NCAA doesn't run the championship so then NCAA could use money they don't spend
Money could be used to incentivize broader sport-based opportunities.
Perko: removing FBS makes sense because NCAA doesn't run the championship so then NCAA could use money they don't spend
Money could be used to incentivize broader sport-based opportunities.
Roby (I think): Schools have organized themselves around a television model blueprint so if you take FB out of the mix, it will encourage geographic play and "better alignment around shared values" [whatever that means 
]
]
Jacques McClendon commenting that not all schools have FB but they all have BB so [I'm paraphrasing here] if you carve them out, it makes things consistent (he pushes back on the idea that this is just creating the wild west)
Q: Have you discussed c/ NCAA and what are next steps?
Perko: Have met with Emmert.
Zimpher: Would convene presidential leaders and then create a reform committee.
Perko: Have met with Emmert.
Zimpher: Would convene presidential leaders and then create a reform committee.
Highlighting this tweet specifically because if you haven't tucked into @HistoryRunner work on how football and basketball subsidize non-revenue sports played largely by white athletes, get yourself sorted. https://twitter.com/tammigaw/status/1334566041670791169
To sum up, the NCAA and its supporters are terrified of 1) California NIL law; 2) Other state laws; 3) Court cases; and 4) a changing congressional landscape that would focus on athlete exploitation and decades of institutional failings.
This is what you are seeing. There's a lot of jargon about values and priorities and whatnot, but at the end of the day, there are several basic premises off which the discussion should be had
1) college sports are exploitative by their very nature
2) college athletes are prevented from exercising the same basic and intrinsic economic rights that literally every other student demographic is allowed to take advantage of
2) college athletes are prevented from exercising the same basic and intrinsic economic rights that literally every other student demographic is allowed to take advantage of
3) The NCAA has failed - and I do mean categorically FAILED - at prioritizing athlete health and safety in every single possible way. That includes concussions, coverage of medical bills, forcing them to play during a ****ing pandemic, emotional health, gender equity, etc)
4) college coaches successfully sued their way into being allowed to make metric shedloads of money that far outweigh the salaries of other essential personnel, not just ath dept employees (looking at you athletic trainers) but also professors.
5) You don't have choose either the status quo OR making college athletes employees full time employees. There is a range of options within those extremes. But we have passed the time for change and the pandemic has brought issues into even starker relief.
PS: LET THE PLAYERS UNIONIZE. All the athletes, not just revenue sports.
