The NCAA is crumbling. For those who are trying to govern the sport, relying on Congress to save their bacon is more than a risky proposition – it’s almost an admission of surrender.
While their “Protect College Sports Act” wallows in the halls of Capitol Hill, the real defenders of college athletics must now be the commissioners of the “Power Four” conferences and the school presidents. It’s time for them to step up and put their collective feet down.
The latest atrocity to hit collegiate athletics is having NFL players who get cut from their respective pro teams return to the college game. It began last summer when a pair of players who were cut from the Denver Broncos entered the NCAA’s transfer portal. Cornerbacks Blake Cotton and Paul Manning were each undrafted, but after signing with – and later being released by – the Broncos, they were able to enter the college transfer portal. The most recent to do so is tight end Dae’Quan Wright of the Cleveland Browns. After recently getting cut, he entered the portal and signed with LSU. Even Browns coach Todd Monken was shocked.
The courts have proven to be entirely pro-players, with almost zero consideration being given to what’s best for the sport. And Congress couldn’t even get a proper vote lined up before taking a summer recess.
So it’s up to the conference commissioners to take up the mantle. Fortunately for the college game, the leaders of the Big Ten and Southeastern Conferences did just that on Tuesday, when they quickly enacted rules against former pros returning to play in college.
A round of applause.
This comes after another recent success for the leadership of another Power Four conference, the Big 12.
There has been a recent success for one conference, the Big 12. Earlier in the summer, the conference stepped up and flexed enough muscle to overcome a ridiculous Texas court ruling. Former Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby – who admitted to gambling on college football games while he was in school at Indiana – was transferring to Texas Tech before he was declared ineligible by the NCAA for gambling. Then a obviously delirious pro-Texas Tech judge overturned the ineligibilty ruling back in early June. That’s when Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark stepped in and, with the support of the other 17 schools in the conference (and some other noteworthy national programs) put the kibosh on Sorsby’s chances to play for the Red Raiders. The potential repercussions that the conference was threatening – as well as other programs who were going to refuse to play Tech – brought Texas Tech back to the fold.
This time around, the SEC put out a collective statement coming out against former NFL players returning to the college game, and called on Congress to pass the law that still sits in front of them. That’s all fine, but LSU coach Lane Kiffin, who said, in essence, “if we don’t sign him, one of our opponents will,” didn’t care about statements or congressional inaction. If the SEC really wanted to prevent Wright or any other pros from returning their conference after a brief NFL stint, they needed to take actions similar to what the Big 12 did in the Sorsby case.
So far, they haven’t. Just words.
That’s not going to work. It’s time to forget reliance on the courts or, more laughably, Congress. Only the conferences can use the kind of strong-armed tactics that are needed – and need to become the norm – from commissioners and member schools to enforce common-sense rules. Perhaps the SEC could force conference members like LSU to decide against signing former pro players, or face a boycott within its own conference?
That would, of course, lead to more court cases. There’s no shortage of greedy, self-serving lawyers out there who could care less about the sport itself and are willing to help burn it to the ground in order to have a happy client. You just have to hope that somewhere along the line, common sense finally wins one.
Strike 2: Conferences will have to become the rules enforcers in college athletics Mile High Sports.
Hence then, the article about strike 2 conferences will have to become the rules enforcers in college athletics was published today ( ) and is available on Mile High Sports ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Strike 2: Conferences will have to become the rules enforcers in college athletics )
Also on site :