If College Athletics were Indeed a Business

[boydbuff]

Was thinking about this today in light of our challenge of signing a team to replace Fresno. Also b/c we supposedly want to run the AD more like a business. If college athletics were truly a business how might things be different?

Some thoughts I have:
1.) Only profitable sports would continue: Basically we'd be left with football and men's basketball-maybe women's basketball would survive

2.) To avoid discrimination, female athletes would need a fair chance to join football and men's basketball teams: Kind of like in the corporate world, companies have to prove that they are not discriminating based on race or sex, etc. You would probably start to see a few females on men's teams.

3.) Athletes would be paid: Not only would they be paid but there would be individual and team-based incentive pay. Salaries would not be fixed. Richer teams would be able to pay whatever they want and attract the best talent.

4.) Athletes could be fired (at will): In states that have at-will laws on the books, athletes could be let go at any time for any reason.

5.) Athletes could also join new teams any time they want: Even in the middle of the season. There could potentially be clauses in contracts like non-competition clause which would likely restrict athletes from joining direct competitors (i.e. other teams in the same conference)

6.) The NCAA would probably just be a member association with no enforcement power and/or be more like the SEC and only have enforcement over things like anti-trust: This means most of the rules violations and suspensions would go away and teams and leagues would have the power to set their own rules for the most part.

7.) Teams which regularly underperform/and lose $ would go bankrupt and no longer compete

8.) Teams could issue IPOs or look for private capital to grow and be more competitive. This would mean that us as fans/investors could own equity in our favorite teams or in teams we feel have the best chance to provide an ROI

While some of these ideas could be adapted and not sound so bad, as a whole I don't think we can go there. But maybe a reconstituted BCS group could try to move towards some of these ideas.

 

[Burrito]

You wrote all this? Today?

Semper Gumby

 

[DBT]

There was a time when the belief was a strong body equals a good mind and that athletic activities in school were a benefit to the student. From then to now, college athletics has evolved into much more than its original intent. You could do a research thesis on the evolution of collegiate sports. It is that complex.

 

[boydbuff]

You wrote all this? Today?

Semper Gumby

Well yes, but I am a business professor so I am used to analyzing stuff from a business perspective and articulating that in my research. That's why I sometimes geek out on academic research to support my arguments on AB.

 

[TimmyDUBs]

I am sure this has already been thought of, but why don't they just set up the rules so that if a student wants to deny his scholarship and pay for his tuition he can accept ad revenue and whatnot? Only the hotshots are really complaining about the issue as far as I can tell, so why not appease them, while giving everyone else the free education that come with being a student athlete? Let them make their money and pay for their own schooling

 

[leftybuff]

There was a time when the belief was a strong body equals a good mind and that athletic activities in school were a benefit to the student. From then to now, college athletics has evolved into much more than its original intent. You could do a research thesis on the evolution of collegiate sports. It is that complex.

There was a great article on HS athletics in the Atlantic on this issue....can't find it...actually I am not even going to look. If I have time I'll link it later.

 

[TimmyDUBs]

I am sure this has already been thought of, but why don't they just set up the rules so that if a student wants to deny his scholarship and pay for his tuition he can accept ad revenue and whatnot? Only the hotshots are really complaining about the issue as far as I can tell, so why not appease them, while giving everyone else the free education that come with being a student athlete? Let them make their money and pay for their own schooling

Perhaps it is a silly argument, but I am still curious what the knowledgeable allbuffers have to say about this...

 

[Buffnik]

Timmy - they can do that. That's what Greg Anthony did at UNLV when the NCAA told him he couldn't have his t-shirt company and still play college basketball. He was making more money from his entrepreneurship than his scholarship package, so he elected to pay his own tuition, books and board.

 

[TimmyDUBs]

Can the athlete have an agent and be in advertisements, though? If this is already possible then Johnny Manziel should drop his scholarship, be a "walk-on" and get paid all he wants.

 

[Highlander]

Timmy - they can do that. That's what Greg Anthony did at UNLV when the NCAA told him he couldn't have his t-shirt company and still play college basketball. He was making more money from his entrepreneurship than his scholarship package, so he elected to pay his own tuition, books and board.

So why didn't Bloom do this? Was it that he was ruled as not an amateur by taking sponsorship $$ for skiing? I think I just answered my own question...

 

[Buffnik]

Can the athlete have an agent and be in advertisements, though? If this is already possible then Johnny Manziel should drop his scholarship, be a "walk-on" and get paid all he wants.

Nope. You can't be sponsored for athletics. But NCAA scholarship athletes also have major restrictions on having jobs or owning businesses. If you want to work during the season (even unrelated to your athletics), you generally can't be on scholarship. I have a friend who got married while in college and ended up giving up his scholarship because he couldn't make ends meet under the circumstances.