The least surprising thing you’ll read today

The NCAA, right on cue (h/t):

Was told earlier today that NCAA FB Rules committee is considering a rule amendment possibly as soon as this weekend to close any loophole that would allow a Punt Return similar to UNT’s 90 yd score vs ARK

— Tommy Craft (@tommycraftespn) September 17, 2018

Down with trickeration!

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UPDATE: 

I’m told by a person with knowledge of the situation this report is erroneous, FWIW https://t.co/RBZwhkN3qk

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 18, 2018

I think Stacey Osburn needs to weigh in for clarity’s sake.

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Depends on whose antitrust ox is gored.

From the Alston trial, currently in its fifth day, comes this observation from the Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin:

Blank is criticizing how much college coaches get paid. She says she's not comfortable with their salaries and it is "unfortunate" the antitrust rules capping coaches pay were lifted. "I don’t think that makes our programs look well." (For the record – Blank is a NCAA witness.)

— Dorothy M. Atkins (@doratki) September 17, 2018

I doubt coaches are paying much attention now, but if the day ever comes when the NCAA openly and actively lobbies for that antitrust exemption, it’ll sure be amusing to watch the light go on.

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UPDATE:  Doubling down.

The student athletes' attorney pressed Blank on her criticism of coaches salaries. She stands by it. The atty notes that @UWMadison's men's basketball coach Greg Gard receives $1.75 million annually and football coach Paul Chryst earns $3.2 mil. Trial is taking a 15 min break.

— Dorothy M. Atkins (@doratki) September 17, 2018

Common sense and the NCAA

Here’s a good suggestion from Dan Wolken in the wake of the game cancellations this week:

Football games being cancelled due to extreme weather is not an irregular occurrence anymore. It’s happening every year. NCAA needs to build a second bye week into the season for flexibility.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 11, 2018

Seems too reasonable to act on, though, amirite?

There’s no ‘ME’ in team… oh, wait.

The new redshirt rule is an improvement, but Gary Danielson is right in thinking things could be better.

Danielson believes the red-shirt rule is better than the previous rule but said an across-the-board five years of eligibility is what he has been an advocate for.

“All great Alabama teams, all the players are leaving after three years,” he said. “It isn’t holding anyone back. And the guys that work their way into the starting lineup. I don’t see why they can’t get five years of eligibility. Who cares if he plays as a freshman or he’s on special teams or he plays in games that are lopsided to give them chances.

“I always feel bad that he got into the eighth or ninth game. He’s planning a redshirt, and the coach says, ‘we need you because of injuries.’ What does the kid say? ‘No, coach I want to save my year.’ He always says, ‘I’ll do this for the team and he blows a year of eligibility.”

Yeah, but it saves the school a year of tuition, Gary.  Now, if we could just get those selfish little pricks to quit sitting out bowl games to preserve their draft status…

“spinning cogs in a content machine”

There sure seems to be an uncanny resemblance between the NCAA’s amateurism protocols and FanSided’s business model, no?

The NCAA gets its own show-cause order.

A California court has issued “a tentative decision” that the show-cause order provisions in the NCAA bylaws violate California law.

“[The show-cause order provisions] are void as they constitute an unlawful restraint on engaging in a lawful profession,” Judge Frederick Shaller wrote.

Shaller’s determination is part of the latest filing in former USC football assistant Todd McNair’s civil lawsuit vs. the NCAA. In May, a jury in Los Angeles voted 9-3 in favor of the NCAA following a three-week defamation trial stemming from McNair’s involvement in the Reggie Bush extra-benefits scandal. Two of the four other allegations in McNair’s suit have been dropped, leaving just the declaratory relief allegation to be resolved.

Shaller said that declaratory relief for McNair in this matter was appropriate, and in that ruling commented on show-cause penalties.

“McNair’s ability to practice his profession as a college football coach has been restricted, if not preempted, not only in Los Angeles and California, but in every state in the country,” he wrote.

The NCAA’s reaction was mild (“We look forward to the opportunity to provide our objections to the court per California trial rules.”), but it’s got to be shitting a few bricks as it ponders the ramifications.  If this order is finalized and affirmed on appeal, the state will become a haven for every coach you can think of who runs afoul of the NCAA.  It’ll become one giant Second Chance U.

Those are the consequences of overplaying your hand against an assistant coach who pissed you off.

The NCAA gets another bite at the apple.

Everybody is back in front of Judge Wilken today for another antitrust battle.

The NCAA is ready to stand its ground.

“As was demonstrated in the O’Bannon case, the NCAA will show that our rules are essential to providing educational opportunities to hundreds of thousands of student-athletes across the country,” NCAA general counsel Donald Remy said in a statement.

“We are proud that many student-athletes can receive a college education debt-free, access to resources that ensure greater academic success, and an experience that will pay dividends for a lifetime. Allowing paid professionals to replace student-athletes on college campuses would change the face of college sports as we know it.”

Two things there, Donald.  Student-athletes are already being paid and I didn’t notice any difference this past weekend. Also, don’t think I didn’t catch your “many student-athletes” qualifier there.  If the experience is everything for the NCAA, why aren’t all student-athletes receiving that debt-free?