As AP reports, Rep. John Conyers (Michigan), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee is urging the panel to hold hearings on antitrust in college sports. The hearing should also include other issues, such as the ongoing realignment chaos (sorry I could not avoid that word) in NCAA football.
Although this is not the first time, and I am afraid not the last time, politics have brought up the issue of collegiate sports, maybe now is the time we see some results. From a pure economic standpoint it is hard to find any arguments why the NCAA top-tier football system should comply with the Sherman Act. The latest realignment shows that amateurism is nowhere to be found in this system, as colleges are chasing money and move all across the country to change conferences.
John Conyers is quoted saying "It has become increasingly clear to me that the combination of issues and challenges facing intercollegiate sports have reached a tipping point calling for congressional attention [...]". Sounds true to me. There are simply too many issues to look away any longer: taxation of athletic departments, antitrust violations, pseudo amateurism on the back of uncompensated athletes...
NCAA Division I FBS football has turned into a professional sports league which is protected by the "amateur status". It is time to rethink it and (maybe) change as well as improve it.
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen