Its time for big time universities to decide whether they are educational institutions or managers of a minor league farm system for the “pros”. Its clear now they can no loner be both! (Probably it should have never been allowed to happen!) I hear graduation rates for college athletics have risen over the last several years. Now is that due to the NCAA forcing payers & coaches to knuckle down and pay attention to academics or is it due to lowering the academic standard? I bet its the later!
The rest of the sports, both men and women, lose money for the university.
There will be some exceptions to this, but not many.
Now, on the football team there will only be about 5 or so standout players whose likeness will actually sell. I mean, aside from family and friends, not many people will buy the jersey of the 3rd string QB or even that of a 1st string OL or DL.
I can see where this is going to cause problems on the team. The big uglies protect the QB and open lanes for the RBs and it is usually these guys who receive all the fame and glory. You usually don't see the big uglies being interviewed after a game.
What the players haven't thought about though are the coming tax implications of this move. And that's really what this is all about. Just another means to get tax money. Why else is California the first to move on this?
It’s because they don’t make the players declare a real major anymore. A lot of these players get degrees in General Studies. Take enough classes taught by Dr. “Friend of the Program” and we’ll give a worthless diploma, and we’ll inflate our graduation numbers. I remember when announcing the lineups they would announce the players majors. Ever wonder why they don’t do that anymore?