The NCAA is walking on thin ice over a rule that it has no reason to want to change, other than to continue casting themselves as the bad guy, or the evil organization looking to rip the last ounces of joy from hard-working college athletes that they possibly can. The latest target could be some of the finest world-class athletes the NCAA has to offer; Olympians.
As it stands now, Olympic athletes are allowed to keep any money received from a national governing body for winning an Olympic medal. The NCAA has ruled that is okay, and does not put an Olympic athlete competing at a NCAA program in jeopardy of violating any NCAA rules typically designed for players accepting extra benefits, like money. The NCAA having a change of heart over such an obvious decision just tells you how silly the NCAA can be. It turns out — surprise surprise — the NCAA lacked the foresight to see how such a rule could come back to be a concern, if you wish to call it that.
At the Rio Olympics this summer, Texas swimmer Joseph Schooling represented Singapore and won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly. As a result, Schooling was awarded $740,000 from the Singapore National Olympic Council. That sum is a tad larger than anyone at the NCAA ever thought might be a possibility. Again, perhaps a lack of foresight from those in charge of the NCAA rule book. Because Schooling received such a high-value reward, now the NCAA appears to be thinking of revising the rule, thus putting eligibility for athletes at risk for excelling in their athletic fields at the highest degree possible.
Enter NCAA president Mark Emmert, who is tasked with trying to explain why this might be a good rule revision to consider.
“To be perfectly honest, it’s causing everybody to go, ‘Oh, well, that’s not really what we were thinking about.’ So, I don’t know where the members will go on that,” Emmert said. “I mean, that’s a little different than 15 grand for the silver medal for swimming for the U.S. of A. So, I think that’s going to stimulate a very interesting conversation.”
Here is how the conversation should go.
“It’s 2016. Let’s stop trying to nickel and dime the student-athletes for all they are worth, let them have the ability to cash in on some of their success and move on.”
But we all know that will never happen.
