Has the NCAA lost its way – when it comes to caring for students?
The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) first came into being early in the twentieth century, to discuss issues in collegiate sports, and make rules. The formation followed a series of problems in football games. Since its formation, the NCAA has continued to grow. Visit the organisation's website today, and you will see that it now looks after students at 1,123 colleges and universities.
The NCAA also now organises various sports leagues, with collegiate sports now being hugely popular, both with fans, and those who want to invest in a wager. If you are interested in the betting aspect of these leagues, for all college sports free betting - click here . In the meantime, we are asking whether the NCAA's assertion that it's concerned with the welfare of athletes is correct.
The issue of operating costs
Despite the existence of the NCAA, many colleges are finding it hard to cope with the cost of operating sports teams. For instance, many teams within the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), are operating at a loss of as much as $30 million. The smaller teams in the league really struggle, as they do not have the resources to enable them to compete successfully. Losing games further restricts these resources; creating a vicious circle. This situation is obviously not good for the league.
The problem of coaches' earnings
The players in NCAA leagues obviously cannot be paid. This means that there is more revenue available to go towards paying coaches. This often leads to a bizarre situation where college coaches are earning as much as their professional league colleagues. Again, this is not a good situation for leagues which are supposed to concentrate on the development of young talent. Given the NCAA's ethos of taking care of the welfare of students, the inflated payments to coaches do seem odd.
Commercialism versus caring
There seems to be little doubt that there is more emphasis on the commercial side of collegiate sports than on the welfare of those young athletes who participate. The NCAA makes much of the fact that it promotes fairness, but it does not really seem fair that smaller colleges with less revenue, seem destined to be confined to moderate success at least.
Payments to coaches is another major issue that should be addressed. It seems to be a complete imbalance that some of these coaches are earning more than the heads of the educational establishments they work for. Aside from any moral issues, this does not set a very good example to students.
The NCAA has done a lot of good for collegiate sports since it was formed, and it's still an organisation that is well-respected by many. But, the emphasis on commercialism does seem to be detracting from what should be the main aim, caring for the welfare of the great sporting stars of the future. Maybe it's time for some reform to be considered.
