My buddy, Dave Butler, who is being inducted into the U.C. Berkley Athletic Hall of Fame, asked me if I had any solutions to the problems facing the NCAA. And of course I do.
- Scholarships should not be tied to performance on the athletic field. The stated goal is to give the athlete a chance to get a college degree. If the student athlete maintains the required GPA, the athlete should be able to attain the goal of graduating even if the coach is not happy with their performance.
- The “One and Done” practice has nothing to do with education. Forcing a high school graduate to work for the NCAA for one year should not be legal. We are the only country in the world that forces athletes to attend one year of college before playing professional ball. Some players may benefit from the experience, but the choice should be theirs in a free society.
- The monthly stipend paid to the athlete should provide for a decent standard of living.
- Unless an individual college sport can pay for itself with ticket sales, alumni donations and student fees the programs should be dropped. A small percentage of the student bodies at major universities participate in these sports, and they should not be subsidized with revenues generated by the football and basketball programs.
Let me know what you think Dave.
Wheeler Writes 
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” When a select few decide your need then the story will never end well ….
Amen brother Dan.
Certainly agree with comments 1-3. Not sure I agree with 4. I would much rather see excess profits from basketball and football go to other college sports rather than to pay coaches and athletic administration high salaries. These sports are equally enriching and educational to those participating and should not be dropped because the revenue generated is less. So golf, track and field, swimming, baseball, softball, cross country, gymnastics, tennis, volleyball … all gone… can’t go with that one.