Will college basketball players be able to make money while in college one day? That has been more of a burning question all the time, as we alluded to on Tuesday. It now appears more likely than ever, though there are plenty of questions regarding the details.
With so many questions about the details, cynics are already letting their voices be heard that nothing will change. While that is possible – stranger things have happened – it seems like a change is coming.
On Tuesday, the NCAA Board of Governors announced that it “voted unanimously to permit students participating in athletics the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.”
What does this mean? Broadly speaking, it means the door will be open for players to make money from their name, image or likeness. As one example, a player appearing in the photo on a video game box could be compensated for that. But when that happens is not today or tomorrow, or even next week or month. Much remains to be determined, including just how soon it will go into effect.
How will they make money? Will it be cash? Will they be able to have that money while in school? What restrictions might there be either by player or school? Will the conferences have a say in any of this?
We don’t know, and won’t for a while. And because this announcement is really little more than just an announcement as far as substance goes, nothing changes for now. But with California passing the Fair Pay to Play Act and numerous other states considering similar legislation, as well as Congress talking about acting as well, the NCAA had to act, and fast. California’s law will go into effect in 2023; chances are it never will, but if the idea was to force the NCAA’s hand for action, the law has served its purpose from the looks of things.
So much discourse on this subject is full of facile soundbites, which serves no one. Whether it’s the idea that allowing athletes to be paid is a magic antidote to issues like those in the FBI investigation, or that schools are making boatloads of cash from TV deals (most athletic departments are actually in the red financially), one-liners often pass as “analysis” on the subject. But like so many subjects, nuance matters here. This is not a trivial issue.
The NCAA wants to ensure this does not get out of hand and up the ante from what is already happening. Whether or that can be done simply with NCAA rules and regulations is unknown; it seems unlikely, even if a bit understandable. There is also a question of Title IX, which has lurked in the background of all of this conversation. Since schools, theoretically, would likely not be the ones providing the compensation, this may not be as big a concern as it would otherwise be, but dismissing it would be folly.
Put another way, it is not solely slow-walking by the NCAA that is the reason much remains to be sorted out. But it is clear that they will be before long, for better or worse, because now they must be.
Recent moves by the NBA G League, as well as the future arrival of the Historical Basketball League and more players opting to play a year overseas instead of college have all started to push the NCAA. Legislative moves in states and now possibly the federal government are adding to it. The NCAA is nearing a day of reckoning, and what form that takes is unknown. We only know it won’t look the way it does much longer. On Tuesday, we got a hint of what the biggest change might look like in all of this – but still, only a hint.
Side Dishes
Now that The Streak is over, it feels safe to pick someone other than Kansas to win the Big 12. But with the Jayhawks reloading more than they first appeared to, how safe a move is that? Baylor gets Tristan Clark back and should be there again, Texas should be better after winning the NIT (and in a key year for Shaka Smart), it’s tough to bet against Texas Tech, and Iowa State should still be pretty good. West Virginia should also be better and make last year look like a simply slump year, and the conference should be deep once again.
Villanova may be favored in the Big East again, but the Wildcats are hardly prohibitive ones. They should get pushed by Seton Hall, though the Pirates announced on Tuesday that Kevin Willard will sit their first two games as the NCAA is investigating the program. After those two, it’s wide open with a lot of teams capable of contending, from a Xavier team that returns most of its contributors and adds good newcomers to a Georgetown team that Patrick Ewing has on the rise.
Two perennial contenders in the Big Sky should lead the way as Montana and Eastern Washington figure to pace that conference. The two teams locked up in the championship game last season and return a good deal of production, while Jerrick Harding will help another perennial power in Weber State give them a run for their money.
The Big South has been intensely competitive in recent years, often with just a few games separating the top five or six spots in the standings, and this season should be no different. Radford and Gardner Webb, who locked horns in the conference championship game last season, should be right there again, with the Highlanders losing their best player but bringing back one of the conference’s best in Carlik Jones and the Runnin’ Bulldogs return a cast led by do-everything sophomore Jose Perez. Look for teams like Winthrop and Hampton to give them a push, but don’t stop there if history is a guide.
Michigan State should pace the Big Ten as a national title contender, but not by a wide margin. Maryland has a team capable of making a deep NCAA Tournament run, and after that are several teams all trying to separate themselves, from Wisconsin to Ohio State to a Purdue team that will look quite different without bucket-maker Carsen Edwards. If you want a dark horse there, look for Illinois to make a jump, while Michigan will be a team worth watching as the Juwan Howard era begins, and the Wolverines along with Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota qualify as wild cards.
Tonight’s Menu
While we move closer to the start of the college basketball season, the season will end for Major League Baseball with Game 7 of the World Series. The road team has won all six games thus far; will that trend continue, meaning the Nationals score an unexpected World Series? It will be worth watching.
