Last season, I wrote an article about how the whole Johnny Manziel autograph “scandal” was absurd. I mentioned how the NCAA reached a new level of hypocrisy by preventing college kids from making money by signing their own signature, yet the NCAA would sell jerseys that were associated with those same athletes’ names.
Given, since ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas put the NCAA on blast last season by exposing its hypocritical online store, the association has prevented such things from happening again. However, this does not get rid of the fact that this rule is, in fact, stupid.
As of today, according to NCAA bylaws, no student-athlete may receive benefits of any kind, including signing autographs for money.
Wait, what?
So you’re telling me that the NCAA has multiple multi-million dollar deals with television networks, sees merchandise fly off the racks and makes a good chunk of its money thanks to college football stars such as Manziel, Jameis Winston and Todd Gurley, yet those same athletes don’t see a dime of it?
Before I go any further, I want to make it clear that the respective schools of each of these athletes do not owe them a cent. Sure, schools such as Florida State or Alabama make a ton of money off of their athletes, especially football, but they are already paying the players with a free education. That is thousands and thousands of dollars that the athlete will never have to worry about, all while getting an education from a respected university or college. Those schools have done more than enough for the athletes.
But the NCAA makes all of this money off of the production of the athletes that are out there on the field playing – the actual stars of college football.
Who’s been most talked about this season? The players – Dak Prescott, Winston, Gurley, Amari Cooper, etc. The list can go on and on with players around the country that make money for the NCAA. Do they get to see any of that money?
Nope. The athletes just continue to grind it out every day at practice and every Saturday on the field while the executives and directors for the NCAA sit back and rake in the money.
If that’s not enough, to throw in another layer of hypocrisy, if the NCAA really cared about players receiving money for signing autographs, it might want to dig a little deeper. Former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia has recently come out saying that during his career, he saw players receiving benefits, “all day, every day.” He then went on to say that some signings would be worth up to $160,000 for one season.
Obviously, the higher profiled athletes such as Winston and Gurley have a better chance of getting caught based off of the scope they are placed under. But if the rule is going to apply to them, it should apply to all. Why is the NCAA only going after the top dogs while the puppies are left to violate the rules as they please? It’s a dumb rule, but if it’s going to be one then practice it with every athlete on every team.
And it’s just that – a very, very dumb rule. I agree that the rules are in place and the athletes need to follow the rules. If the NCAA says don’t make money off of autograph sessions, then players need to stay away from such things.
But, I hate the rule. I think it is outdated, ignorant and unfair. There is no reason why an athlete can’t make money off of his or her name, likeness and talent, but the NCAA can.
On ncaa.org, it says, “All association-wide governing bodies are charged with upholding and advancing the Association’s core values of fairness, safety and equal opportunity for all student-athletes.”
Maybe it’s time the NCAA read its own handbook.
g.adams@chronicle.utah.edu
@GriffDoug
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