The End Of The "Student Athlete"

OP makes a reasonable point. However:

Under the old system endemically corrupt programs - Kentucky, Louisville, dook, North Carolina, UCLA, Syracuse etc i.e programs where "student athletes" were paid historically (an awkward construction made necessary by the arbitrary rule against split infinitive) by wealthy donors - achieved positions of privilege from which they are unlike to be dislodged them, with outliers like SJU (see also Jack Molinas) and Syracuse obviously. Is there an ebb and flow? Sure. For every SJU that reaches a point of inertia there's a scum bag like Bruce Pearl or Scott Drew waiting in the wind to take its place

“For Baylor? Why Scott, it profit a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world. . . but for Baylor!”

What the new system does is create a playing field where any podunk program can cheat with the same fervor as the blue bloods. Allowing everyone equal access to unscrupulousness democratizes "amateur" athletics in the same way that the internets created a free market for dissent. It used to be that D2 West Chester University swimming program needed to be worried about being sanctioned via monetary and recruiting penalties whereas Baylor - where people were MURDERED – got to impose penalties on itself.

We've been treated in response to the new system Rick Pitino - late of the two most corrupt programs in college basketball history - bemoaning the influence of money in college athletics. Consider that. That makes me think someone is doing something right

tl;dr The new system contributes to the downfall of western civilization, therefore of it I approve.
 
Now that we're in a "new system" that even has the NC State (Valvano team) seeking compensation...we should return those wins that were vacated from us because we gave a player his miniscule housing stipend after putting him up in a dorm. That NIT banner that was taken down will look good hanging again in Alumni Hall.
 
Fun Fun Fun said:
Wut?

Cue Fred Gwynne: Are you on drugs?
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Pac 12 tournament - KIA (rip)

Big Ten Tournament - so forgettable they actually tried to run their conference tournament a week early in 2018 just so it could be at MSG. Now it's being shoved off to the target center for next season, sounds like a lot of fun

ACC Tournament - at least its going back to Greensboro the energy was lacking in DC

Big 12 - this ones cool if you love the brand Phillips 66, or if you are a Kansas fan

SEC - Calipari stopped winning SEC tournament games for years and it hurt

The Big East Tournament to me has the arena, history, rivalries, and energy that sets it apart from the other conference tournaments. I feel this way every March watching all conference tournaments, the Big East games are the best viewing experience

None of this reflects ratings wise, the Big East draws less comparative to these other conferences, I know that. My argument is merely about the viewership experience and overall aura.

"Aura" can be difficult to identify sometimes. One time I asked MullinsRevenge how he defines aura. And he told me, and I'll never forget this, he told me "well aura is kind of like Dan Hurley's c*ck" MR said. "I know it when I feel it"
 
Jack Williams said:
we are the only conference that has a conference tournament with an actual aura/allure to it. We will be taken care of in these media negotiations IMO.

The only thing that brings me pause in these times is I am not sure if we have the right leader to seal the deal for this conference in these type of media talks. I don't hate Val, just wish we had a stronger personality in these discussions. I'm still salty about the lame unsigned statement the conference released after we got shafted at the selection show

This is also why I changed my tune on Hurley midway through the NCAA tournament. He was beating everyones ass and then telling anyone who listened that it was because the Big East prepared his team. Something like that is so valuable with all these media rights discussions happening.
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Correct, you may hate dan hurley, but you cant deny is is excellent for the big east conference.

As is Pitino.
 
Money said:
Really don't understand this logic...

That's like saying the Yankees bring the overwhelming value to the equation so Aaron Judge or Juan Soto should be happy with a per diem and free tickets to games!

It is a mutual benefit equation but only one party is recognizing true benefit and it isn't the kids.
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My opinion only…

Fans support the team because of the affiliation w/the university…if u replaced all of the rosters w/D3 level players, people would still root for the university…not saying the players aren’t important and don't deserve $s but IMO they don’t deserve 6-7 figure salaries. 99% will not be NBA players and aren’t even as good as G League players.

The G League is a good comparison…better players than college yet zero interest and salaries ($40-$50K) that are more commensurate with what college players should expect..in fact, a college player making $750K as a senior will get a huge pay decrease if he is fortunate enough to get to the G League or Europe.
 
the below Providence College fan podcast explains how N$L will continue after school begin making direct payments to players. The PC moderator claims that the basketball centric Big East is not necessarily at a disadvantage.

 
The subject of College Athletics is a wide arena of territory that has many different moving parts
The relatively recent mandate to pay Athletes for NIL has created a fire storm that ripples into so many different directions
First , we being fans of St John’s BB have continued over a 100 year tradition of the School trying to field the best Teams it could .
Admittedly that slipped badly over the last 20 years and nearly set a crippling blow to the Program , that left many of us accepting of the poor results with little prospect of once again being a top tier BE program .
Pitino has changed that in 1 short year .
It’s easy for us SJU and BE fans to say we have the best Coaches and best teams but , most of the rest of the World and the NCAA think otherwise . Getting only 3 teams in the tourney offers confirms that fact . It was a purposeful slight meant to send a loud message to ourBE .
The combination of the addrd eligibility for the Covid year plus the quick emergence of the NIL have created a BB landscape that is unrecognizable to most of us .
The combination of those 2 Regulations has made the true Student Athlete a dinosaur .
NIL has made a Market Place Bazzaar (sic) where Schools are falling all over themselves paying huge 6 figure amounts to 23 -24 year old men . Many of whom are passing through their 2nd or 3 rd College .
These are very good players but , most are not good enough for the NBA . If they were , they would have left school years ago and been drafted .
In effect , these players are really temporary players that will play a year and then when eligibility is finished they move on . Do they really care how well St John ‘s does or Villanova ? Doubtful , their investment in the school is strictly monetary . Any School , except UCONN as they have the most $$$$ to attract the top 50 HS kid and compete for what they think are the best Transfers. Of course , when the Covid eligibility runs it’s course , the $$$$ will go to the best HS players . For whom all BE schools compete against the Football dominated schools who have a bigger purse
The idea that these Schools are sharing their billions in Athletic revenue with their Academic peers doesn’t exist . When a Michigan has a Football Roster of 90 players , many of whom will be paid amounts equal to their abilities , those revenues get allocated to supporting their Women’s programs as well as non Revenue sports like Track , Swimming , Lacrosse , Field Hockey , Baseball , etc

What would be a better Model would be for the NBA to waive their 1 year eligibility standard and let the elite HS players go directly to the League . Same for the NFL , let the best Players go to the League right away and not differentiate between BB and Football . Let these truly professional leagues pay for their future players and not , the Colleges .
The G League or D League are marginally contributing to the development of players most of whom will never see the NBA, except as a paying spectator .
The Colleges have been willing participants in effectively being the Minor Leagues for future NBA players . Few though they may be.
I think it’s ok to have College BB be the way it once was . With minor adjustment . The Players should get modest living expenses beyond the traditional Tuition , Board , Books , etc. with the intent restored that the players might have some interest in getting a College Degree in order to obtain pursuit of a career behind BB .

The current situation is not sustainable for the future . And, relying on the NCAA to be the guiding light in creating a new structure is beyond their capabilities .

It’s easy to understand why Coaches like Wright , Saban, Coach K, etc grew weary of the landscape that the Covid eligibility plus NIL created . It’s chaotic

Otherwise , the term Student Athlete gets replaced by Athletic Professional .

And , the big State Schools with taxpayer funds , few in the hierarchy of those schools give a Rat’s Ass about a mostly Catholic and private School BB BE league .
They have already voiced their scorn by our 3 bid Tourney representation .
 
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