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Copy of my email to the President of the NCAA:
Dear Mr. Emmert:
I write to express my concern about the state of college football. College sports plays a role in developing a well rounded student at university. Regardless of the importance of that endeavor, the success of sports in general depends on fans perceiving that no team is playing with an unfair advantage.
League offices in professional sports put at the top of their agendas creating a clean image for the sports they manage and support. It is my view that the NCAA, a parallel organization to the pro-sports leagues at the collegiate level, is failing in that mission. As college football programs find greater leeway in the application of a complex set of barely understandable rules through the precedent established by NCAA rulings, and as advantages in recruiting the best high school football players accrue to programs who operate in the gray areas created by the current rules, fans will abandon the sport because they will perceive it is tainted.
I think you are aware of this problem. Protecting a brand is a phrase most Athletic Directors are tossing around these days. But, in my view, the NCAA is not protecting the brand that is college football because the NCAA's charter, the description of it's mission and it's powers regarding rules enforcment is both flawed in concept and execution.
Frankly, I don't fully blame the NCAA for what can only be described as the unethical conduct of college football players, coaches, deep pocketed alumni and those who make a living off of and exploit young athletes. You are complicit though, Mr Emmert, because I don't see the NCAA coming forward with calls for the College Presidents to simplfy and clarify the rules that will apply to the game, espcially recruiting, and then allow the NCAA the necessary powers to enforce them.
As well, the charter and mission of the NCAA should be more clearly defined. If I understand this correctly, rules enforcement is a cooperative effort between the NCAA and the member institutions. I think that concept is flawed. It is akin to establishing the speed limit to be 55 MPH and then asking motorists to come to the police department to report they have driven their vehicles at 75 MPH, expecting and willing to pay a fine for that rules violation.
I think at one time the concept of self enforcment of rules agreed upon by the member institutions worked. But that was before multi-million dollar contracts with incentives for championships and post season play that has prompted a win at all costs approach to college football. These huge incentives for coaches have given rise to documented schemes by college football programs to gain advantages on the field. Advantage can be gained by attracting the nation's top football talent; it appears there is evidence that the method of doing so has been going on for a long time and involves using outside agents and alumni who provide money and benefits to college football players both before enrollment as an enticement to enroll at a particular college and during college enrollment as payment for that decision.
Obvioulsy, this approach provides member institutions plausible deniability. They can claim that they did not know. The NCAA, failing to be granted the power to compell testimony that they did know about such things, is unable to prove they did know about it. I believe you understand this situation but, because of your mission and charter are not able to do much about it. But, as the President of the NCAA, I do hold you accountable and I believe it is both your responsibility and your duty to speak out. I await that moment.
Regards, Jeff Buchanan, LSA, '70, University of Michigan.
Dear Mr. Emmert:
I write to express my concern about the state of college football. College sports plays a role in developing a well rounded student at university. Regardless of the importance of that endeavor, the success of sports in general depends on fans perceiving that no team is playing with an unfair advantage.
League offices in professional sports put at the top of their agendas creating a clean image for the sports they manage and support. It is my view that the NCAA, a parallel organization to the pro-sports leagues at the collegiate level, is failing in that mission. As college football programs find greater leeway in the application of a complex set of barely understandable rules through the precedent established by NCAA rulings, and as advantages in recruiting the best high school football players accrue to programs who operate in the gray areas created by the current rules, fans will abandon the sport because they will perceive it is tainted.
I think you are aware of this problem. Protecting a brand is a phrase most Athletic Directors are tossing around these days. But, in my view, the NCAA is not protecting the brand that is college football because the NCAA's charter, the description of it's mission and it's powers regarding rules enforcment is both flawed in concept and execution.
Frankly, I don't fully blame the NCAA for what can only be described as the unethical conduct of college football players, coaches, deep pocketed alumni and those who make a living off of and exploit young athletes. You are complicit though, Mr Emmert, because I don't see the NCAA coming forward with calls for the College Presidents to simplfy and clarify the rules that will apply to the game, espcially recruiting, and then allow the NCAA the necessary powers to enforce them.
As well, the charter and mission of the NCAA should be more clearly defined. If I understand this correctly, rules enforcement is a cooperative effort between the NCAA and the member institutions. I think that concept is flawed. It is akin to establishing the speed limit to be 55 MPH and then asking motorists to come to the police department to report they have driven their vehicles at 75 MPH, expecting and willing to pay a fine for that rules violation.
I think at one time the concept of self enforcment of rules agreed upon by the member institutions worked. But that was before multi-million dollar contracts with incentives for championships and post season play that has prompted a win at all costs approach to college football. These huge incentives for coaches have given rise to documented schemes by college football programs to gain advantages on the field. Advantage can be gained by attracting the nation's top football talent; it appears there is evidence that the method of doing so has been going on for a long time and involves using outside agents and alumni who provide money and benefits to college football players both before enrollment as an enticement to enroll at a particular college and during college enrollment as payment for that decision.
Obvioulsy, this approach provides member institutions plausible deniability. They can claim that they did not know. The NCAA, failing to be granted the power to compell testimony that they did know about such things, is unable to prove they did know about it. I believe you understand this situation but, because of your mission and charter are not able to do much about it. But, as the President of the NCAA, I do hold you accountable and I believe it is both your responsibility and your duty to speak out. I await that moment.
Regards, Jeff Buchanan, LSA, '70, University of Michigan.
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