Needed Reforms In The NCAA

As the conversation about the ethics of the NCAA continues to gain steam, the staying-power of the organizations current model of exploitation and maximum profit seems unstable. After the recent 30 minute special on HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, the NCAA is perhaps under more pressure to change its way than ever before.

One of the main arguments against giving collegiate athletes fair compensation is the supposed complexity of what a salary system might look like. How would teams recruit players if salaries were involved, how would smaller schools survive, and would every player get compensation are all questions that are asked when analyzing a plan to pay players.

While in reality, these questions may be quite easy to answer in a salary-based payment plan, the first step that the NCAA should take is shortening its ridiculous rulebook of restrictions. Currently, the NCAA has utter and complete control of its athletes. This relationship is unique to the NCAA in the entirety of the United State's capitalistic economy. Athletes are forced to comply with the NCAA's extensive list of overbearing rules or else they face harsh penalties. Well, the most convenient set of rules for both the NCAA and the Universities which operate under it are those that prevent athletes from profiting off of their own marketability. In other words, there are strict NCAA rules that are meant to keep athletes from making money off of merchandise sales, autographs, or even the sale of their own property. NCAA football players such as Terrelle Pryor and Johnny Manziel have both come under fire for profiting off of jersey sales and autograph signings respectively. Each player, while generating millions of dollars for their schools, was kept from making any type ofcompensation.

Image taken from www.goducks.coom

The most simple first-step that the NCAA should take is allowing players to sell their own name. The name that currently the NCAA takes possession of when a player agrees to attend a four-year university. This would take care of most of the problems that are created by a lack of compensation with a free market approach. Players that are truly generating millions of dollars of revenue for their schools will be able to benefit from their own jersey sales and charge for their own autograph.