Recent evidence of corruption at the University of North Carolina:
"For 18 years, thousands of students at the prestigious University of North Carolina took fake "paper classes," and advisers funneled athletes into the program to keep them eligible, according to a scathing independent report released Wednesday."
Given that NCAA is brutally tough when athletics programs "lose institutional control" (see USC, Ohio St. etc) because players took some cash on the side, we can expect the hammer on UNC right?
Ummmm. Silence from the NCAA.
The more complex and generous answer is that that is the problem with imposing draconian laws for something that is arguably not wrong. If you impose bowl bans for players making a little money on the side, what possible punishment would be fair for 18 years of institutional corruption of the charade known as "student athletes." Permanent ban. But of course the NCAA will not do that or anything even remotely close.
The simpler answer is that the NCAA is a corrupt monopoly where morals, ethics, and consistency are all casualties of maximizing profits for the NCAA. When students take money on the side, it undercuts the NCAA's profits so in their world view, that is the real crime. On the other hand, academic corruption allows "should be professional athletes" to be "student athletes" and make money for the NCAA. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
In this country that loves free markets, let me count the ways that college football is like Soviet-style communism:
(i) the NCAA is like the communist party; a monopoly that arbitrarily assigns punishment depending on whether it benefits;
(ii) all workers get the same wage (stipends, scholarships) no matter their relatives capabilities, some well below their market value;
(iii) the senior members of the party appropriate the rents (coaches, NCAA executives, etc);
(iv) restrictions on the labor market (players are not eligible to enter the NFL draft for 4 years until the graduate high school!). How else can you get the best players to come to college and earn $0? By not allowing them the opportunity that every other person in the US has: become a professional and earn money for their craft. Also, "student-athletes" must sit out a year of eligibility when they transfer schools (while coaches have no such restrictions).
I am disgusted by the NCAA and will be avoiding their products.
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