Trending
The NCAA basketball tournaments, both men's and women's, have had their share of thrilling moments and last-second finishes. By the time the champions are crowned (Sunday, April 7 for the women and Monday, April 8 for the men), another season of highlights will have come to an end.
Now, get ready. Get set. Go!
The off season in college athletics is as busy, probably busier, than the season itself. The reason? Those two dreaded words: Transfer portal.
Remember when college athletes committed to a university and stayed for four years? Maybe five in the event of a redshirt year. Five years maximum. Five years at one school.
The face of big-time college sports has already changed. Athletes swap teams like professional free-agents, ending careers with season stats at two or three schools. There have always been transfers. There was also a time when a student-athlete had to sit out for a full season after transferring from one Division I school to another. Not anymore.
Now, after the season there is a mass exodus in search of more exposure and better NIL (name, image and likeness) opportunities. Financial opportunities. The system has become college free agency.
The NCAA in general is experiencing massive change with conference realignment and playoff expansion. As a fan, I like the expanded playoff bracket for football. I am not as excited with conference realignment. In many cases, geographic and traditional rivalries will become things of the past.
Money certainly plays a big part in the changes. Actually, the biggest part. Revenue from TV runs the show. It has for a long time. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent to present college football and basketball to the TV audience. Understood.
With that kind of cash flow, some feel the athletes should be rewarded. In many cases, they are. The NIL decision has allowed college athletes to sign endorsement deals that would have resulted in suspension and NCAA sanctions not long ago. College athletics has had its share of dark moments in the past, from point-shaving scandals to the 1987 "death penalty" for the SMU football program. Could the NIL rule open the door to other possible scenarios?
The NCAA is moving closer to a minor league for the pros. One factor absent from the mix is education. Supposedly at the core of "college" sports, education is rarely, if ever, discussed. The opportunity to work for a college education used to be a major part of the contract, but these days, it never seems to enter the equation. Loyalty to a university? That is a tough question to answer.
I'm in favor of people earning a nice living. If an owner is willing to pay an enormous salary, congratulations. If an athlete has the God-given ability, make the most of it...at the professional level. Unfortunately, college sports may never be the same.
Everything changes in time. Hopefully, the NCAA and college athletics have not entered territory from which there is no return.
...
Tom Laub is the lifestyles editor at the Lewistown Sentinel.