By Joe Giordano || Senior Editor
The entire world of college sports could be turned on its head following a recent FBI probe into many of the top programs in America. After the FBI obtained documents from a former agent, over twenty programs and twenty-five players have been implicated in a massive recruiting scandal. Many top-tier programs including North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, and Michigan State have been named in possible violations of improper gifts and monetary compensation for players and their families. The findings in this probe could very well change the very nature of college sports.
Some of these athletes, specifically Arizona center DeAndre Ayton, have been given up to $100,000 to play for the programs they were recruited to. These monetary payments and gifts are directly against NCAA regulations. However, the issue is not with the payments to the players itself but the system as a whole.
According to a USA Today article, it is reported that NCAA president Mark Emmert made over $1.9 million dollars in 2015. That is $1.9 million more dollars than the student athletes who actually play the games made. This is extremely unfair and the system as a whole needs major changes.
The student athletes who put their blood, sweat, and tears into each and every game and provide incredible entertainment for each and every one of us each March for the NCAA tournament do not see a dime of the profit. The TV deal for broadcasting the games is worth millions of dollars in profit for the NCAA but those who are actually responsible for the games can’t see any benefit.
The NCAA oversees every single aspect of funding coming in, ensuring that they can milk every single dollar out of the students and that is all supervised so that they don’t miss out on a payday. The student athletes, who see their jerseys being sold and worn in arenas across the country, won’t ever see the benefit.
Imagine you are working on a very difficult project at work and put in all the work and effort into it. After presenting the project to the company, the company simply gives you a pat on the back and the CEO takes all of the profits of your hard work. Every dollar that you brought in because of your work on this project goes directly in the pockets of the people running the show. This is is similar to what is occurring in college sports.
The NCAA needs to figure out a way to properly compensate players for their hard work and dedication so that these scandals become a thing of the past. While there is no easy solution, the players deserve to be compensated for the millions of dollars they are single handedly bringing in. These FBI probes just bring to light the unfair and unjust system that is currently in place. One can only hope that one day the student athletes will be seen as equal to those who run the organization.
Senior Joe Giordano is a Senior Editor. His email is jgiorda@fandm.edu.