‘Band-aid reform:’ Critics say NCAA commission findings missed the mark
A 60-page report released Wednesday by the Commission on College Basketball used words like “corrupt” and “deeply troubled” to describe a sport in need of bold and radical changes that are long overdue.
For some, the findings from the 14-member committee led by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice were a step in the right direction. For other critics, the six-month study of the sport missed the mark, failing to tackle the most sizable issues.
“Basically, it’s looking at the most egregious scandals over the last year or two and providing Band-Aid reforms for them,” Andrew Zimbalist, professor of economics at Smith College, told CNHI this week. “Some of the Band-Aids will work, but it’s not going to reverse the problems of large budget deficits and college athletic programs that pertain to 98 percent of the programs. It’s not going to change the bastardization of educational standards that has come to incite college sports. And it’s not going to deal with exploitation of athletes.”
The report focused on cleaning up several areas, like harsher penalties to rule breakers, eliminating the NBA’s age rule, allowing underclassmen to retain eligibility if they aren’t drafted, the establishment of new youth basketball programs and financial transparency and accountability from apparel companies.
One area that struck a nerve with Zimbalist, among others, was the dancing around of athlete compensation.
The commission said it would remain open to potential rule changes, but cited ongoing legal litigation as a limiting factor in a move to an Olympic model, which would allow student-athletes to earn money of their name, image or likeness.
Zimbalist called it a cop out, and David Ridpath, president of the Drake Group, an organization committed to intercollegiate athletic reform, stressed to CNHI his disappointment in the commission’s punting of the topic.
“For me, it was like that’s the main issue. There’s a black market,” said Ridpath, an associate professor of sports management at Ohio University. “That needs to be addressed — and at the very least acknowledged — that we believe, as a commission, the Olympic model of name, image and likeness compensation should be afforded to all college athletes. That would have been nice, but they completely passed on that.
Ridpath said he wasn’t surprised at the findings, adding there was plenty of “fluff” in the report.
That said, Ridpath noted the commission produced a few things he liked, like the elimination of the NBA’s one-and-done rule — he feels players should have the freedom to decide on their educational or professional future — and recognition the enforcement on infractions system is broken and needs a complete overhaul.
The commission called for independent investigations and penalties like a five-year postseason ban for Level I violations and to allow a lifetime show-cause ban.
The report read, in part, “state of affairs – where the entire community knows of significant rule breaking and yet the governance body lacks the power or will to investigate and act – breeds cynicism and contempt.”
The aforementioned changes are what Ridpath referred to as “low-hanging fruit.” He didn’t expect to see wholesale shifts to the sport.
“If you ask people that a week ago, those are pretty big changes. Now, they have to happen. We don’t know if that’s going to be the case,” Ridpath said.
“You still have people on that commission that have a very vested interest in keeping the status quo. What college sports needs is something completely outside the box.”
Ridpath isn’t alone in his skepticism.
“We still don’t know yet that the NCAA is capable of truly protecting and supporting the education, health, safety and well-being of student-athletes — and big challenges to the integrity of college basketball persist. We look forward to addressing these challenges at our meeting next month,” Knight Commission co-chair and former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday in a statement.
Many of the proposed changes have been talked about for years. It took a black eye from the FBI investigation to set things in motion.
For example, Ridpath in 2004 testified before a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary for a hearing on due process and the NCAA. Ridpath, in part, called for breaking down the shroud of secrecy, bringing true, independent oversight to that committee and guaranteeing fairness and due process for all.
“We are at the level right now that government intervention is the only way to stop this train,” he said in 2004.
Regardless of opinions, change is coming soon. The NCAA, with help from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, will push for legislative proposals that can be considered in August by the NCAA Board of Governors.
Jim Haney, executive director of the NABC, said that he will work with Saint Joseph’s Coach Phil Martelli and Kansas Coach Bill Self, all of whom are members of the men’s basketball oversight committee, for input and feedback as it pertains to the formation of the proposals.
In a video posted Friday online, Haney stressed he wants to see the profession held in high esteem, but noted how stiffer penalties and rules only apply if they are followed.
“If we have another episode where the Department of Justice and the FBI have to once again get involved in the business of men’s basketball, the resounding response will be ‘nothing’s changed’ despite all the good efforts of the oversight committee and all the good efforts of the commission,” Haney said. “And that cannot be. We have to change.”