Jimmy's cage rattling of the SEC has me thinking that the winds of change may be coming to college football. Finally. Jimmy might even be one of the catalysts that make it happen.
Clearly the NCAA has devolved into a puppet for the money makers that not only don't abide by the rule book - they couldn't tell you where to find one. Now, please don't start this whole "glass houses" discussion. We are not 100% clean and I suspect no big time school is. I am separating the blatant, egregious rule breakers - those that have become expert in skirting the rules and believe it's part of college athletics - from those that put forth genuine effort in enforcement and academic integrity. So, what might happen here? A few scenarios come to mind...
1. The rule followers break away from the rule breakers - will the Michigans, Northwesterns, Virginias, and Vanderbilts just say the hell with it and form their own athletic conference? Clearly geography doesn't matter anymore. Maybe finding schools with similar cultures and viewpoints is the way to go? The downside is that we could lose some of the big name draws for football and basketball (e.g., bucknuts). I guess it doesn't mean we can't play them but those games would be out of conference so to speak.
2. Downsize the athletic program - not going to happen. Too much momentum and money at stake. I think this might be Schlissel's idealistic dream but it's just not going to occur.
3. NCAA gets subpoena power to beef up enforcement - This seems to be het perennial excuse by the NCAA that they can't do much. The lawyers in the room would have a better idea on how that would or could work. Of course, they would have to actually use it.
4. Disband the NCAA and start over - probably SHOULD happen... but just don't see it. The rule breakers with deep pockets like this system and the NCAA is more than willing to remain complicit.
Any others with fortune telling capabilities? Something has to change in the near future....
Clearly the NCAA has devolved into a puppet for the money makers that not only don't abide by the rule book - they couldn't tell you where to find one. Now, please don't start this whole "glass houses" discussion. We are not 100% clean and I suspect no big time school is. I am separating the blatant, egregious rule breakers - those that have become expert in skirting the rules and believe it's part of college athletics - from those that put forth genuine effort in enforcement and academic integrity. So, what might happen here? A few scenarios come to mind...
1. The rule followers break away from the rule breakers - will the Michigans, Northwesterns, Virginias, and Vanderbilts just say the hell with it and form their own athletic conference? Clearly geography doesn't matter anymore. Maybe finding schools with similar cultures and viewpoints is the way to go? The downside is that we could lose some of the big name draws for football and basketball (e.g., bucknuts). I guess it doesn't mean we can't play them but those games would be out of conference so to speak.
2. Downsize the athletic program - not going to happen. Too much momentum and money at stake. I think this might be Schlissel's idealistic dream but it's just not going to occur.
3. NCAA gets subpoena power to beef up enforcement - This seems to be het perennial excuse by the NCAA that they can't do much. The lawyers in the room would have a better idea on how that would or could work. Of course, they would have to actually use it.
4. Disband the NCAA and start over - probably SHOULD happen... but just don't see it. The rule breakers with deep pockets like this system and the NCAA is more than willing to remain complicit.
Any others with fortune telling capabilities? Something has to change in the near future....
