This just dropped from the NCAA:
NCAA announces it will require schools to pay for tuition, fees and books for basketball players who leave after at least two years and want to return to their same school to get undergraduate degree pic.twitter.com/1yDKsIADdM
— Steve Berkowitz (@ByBerkowitz) August 8, 2018
So did this.
NCAA announces it is implementing several recommendations:
– Players can be repped by agents.
– Agents must be certified by an NCAA program
– Players can be eligible for NBA Draft and return to school if undrafted.— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) August 8, 2018
Nothing says amateur like hiring an agent.
It’s not everything these kids should get — still nothing on payment for NLI — but it’s a step in the right direction from the status quo. Only for basketball players, though.
Filed under The NCAA
“We remember the Sugar Bowl, I think it my junior year of high school, we let Alabama beat us twice,” Brinson said of a team that also lost to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game. “We’re not letting Alabama beat us twice. In the Sugar Bowl in 2018, they… thought they should have been in the playoffs and lost to Texas.” -- AB-H, 12/27/23
Get The Picture
I look forward to hearing why only basketball players.
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Exactly
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The answer is because basketball has the immediate issue of scum bag AAU coaches and shoe companies influencing hs athletes which leads to situations like Petino at Louisville. But you’re right, it’ll probably come full circle with football soon enough.
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I’m sure they don’t like that well known underbelly being exposed, and they’ll hang their hat on that, but the real reason is that the G league upped its minimum to 35K, and if they go further, more players are going to do that instead of college. Right now they’re just trying to sweeten the deal. “Come here for two years and then go pro, and if you wash out you can come back.” They did two instead of one year because they just love themselves some half measures.
If most big time players start regularly choosing the G league, they’ll turn right around and say the Olympic model is just so great for basketball to win HS seniors back because the kids will make more money with the college game’s exposure + endorsements than G league salary. Guaranteed.
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$35k is nothing compared to what these elite players get under that table as well as legally with COA, housing stipends, and PELL refunds. I’ve seen D-II players get $10k plus back in their pocket legally. The elite players get a lot more than that. It’s still not what they’re worth but the G League is going to have to come way up from $35k and get a tv deal before players realistically start jumping ship from NCAAB.
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This is something UGA has done for quite some time. I remember several players from my childhood who reappeared on campus to finish degrees while Coach Dooley was running the show. He was always willing to help guys/gals complete their degree.
He valued education & actually audited classes while I was in school. I guess that’s how you explain his advanced knowledge of horticulture.
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And history
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In many cases they’re helping former students who need (or should need) the least financial help. Many athletes who leave school get very high paying jobs. If a smart kid who’s not an athlete has to drop his/her scholarship to earn money to survive, can they return and resume their scholarship and studies? Likely not.
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I can only speak to my time & the decade after but Coach Dooley didn’t have any limitations on anyone coming back to finish a degree. His goal was to help former athletes have the best chance at a great life through education & the alumni network.
This is a side that people never saw or heard about but Coach was great at helping all of us w/ life after sports.
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I’m guessing the “hiring” agents is more like top HS baseball prospects using agents as “advisers”. No signed contract, no money changes hands.
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MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH….Georgia Tech adjusts substance-abuse policy for athletes. https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/georgia-tech-adjusts-substance-abuse-policy-for-athletes/XfjvFGWn83Cd8ZmWLtw4mL/
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I think this maybe a lot of window dressing and lacking real substance if what I heard on the radio today is accurate. The returning to school part is only valid for those players that are invited to the draft combine. I guess they are trying to send the message if you aren’t invited to the combine then you aren’t getting drafted so don’t leave school.
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Good call
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This is so off-topic it’s not even funny, but I’ve got to share this: A Gator message board’s response to a column suggesting Saint Timmeh absolved a lot of CUM’s Florida sins:
https://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/threads/tim-tebow-masked-sins-of-urban-meyer-at-florida.406037/
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And I thought Da Nile was a river in Egypt, apparently it runs through Hog Town.
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If the NCAA is doing this for basketball players it needs to do it for football players too. Particularly the ability to be eligible and come back if you don’t get drafted part.
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