Future of college basketball

[Newportcat]

Agree with a lot of Coach K’s comments here

https://sports.yahoo.com/coach-k-calls- ... 51154.html" target="_blank

The game to me outside of the tournament is a shell of its former self

[Beachcat97]

The game to me outside of the tournament is a shell of its former self

It's true, Newport. How do you make November through February more compelling, more viable? I don't like that the non-conference games are over by January. Wasn't always that way. I think a good marquee matchup in mid-Jan or mid-Feb can build anticipation for March, while also boosting interest in the conference races.

As for the Pac, the Pac 12 Network needs to be dragged out back and shot immediately. It hasn't been good for the league, and it's so damn irritating seeing other schools/programs thrive on the strength of ESPN's and Fox's promotional efforts. I know ESPN isn't too popular among AZ fans these days, and for good reason. But I still wish we were part of that network.

[Newportcat]

I think one big thing is doing what they do for ncaa baseball and softball

First top 4 seeds host NCAA tournament at their gym. Therefore top four seeds get home court advantage first two rounds

It would cut down on upsets but make it so teams would be fighting hard for those top four seeds

Just an idea. I mean how fucking awesome would it be to see Arizona play a tournament game at mckale

Also get rid of conference tournaments for lower conferences so regular season means something in places like the big west

Challenge is NCAA makes so much money if the tournament that all you ever heard about is Road To March madness

Real best thing would be to cut down on the amount of teams in but that ain’t ever happening

[pc in NM]

The game to me outside of the tournament is a shell of its former self

It's true, Newport. How do you make November through February more compelling, more viable? I don't like that the non-conference games are over by January. Wasn't always that way. I think a good marquee matchup in mid-Jan or mid-Feb can build anticipation for March, while also boosting interest in the conference races.

As for the Pac, the Pac 12 Network needs to be dragged out back and shot immediately. It hasn't been good for the league, and it's so damn irritating seeing other schools/programs thrive on the strength of ESPN's and Fox's promotional efforts. I know ESPN isn't too popular among AZ fans these days, and for good reason. But I still wish we were part of that network.

Back to the future...

A National Championship Tournament that accepts ONLY Conference Champions. Period.

Have another tournament for all comers.

Impossible to happen, however, because the NCAA Tournament is ONLY ABOUT MONEY. TV Money. Advertising revenue. NCAA Payoff. Unfortunately it has nothing whatsoever to do with a "championship". They couldn't care less about that....

[azcat49]

Creat scheduling parameters such as 3 OOC true road games. Two against power conference opponents and one against a mid major.

Sub .500 in your conference? You better win your conference tourney because you can’t get in the dance otherwise

Season starts 12/1 and eliminate holiday tournaments in November

[84Cat]

Uh oh

[Merkin]

Uh oh

Sure, why not? That $100K(?) Zion Williamson was paid can now go elsewhere to the program.

[pc in NM]

Pac-12's Larry Scott expresses concern with Fair Pay to Play Act

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott has expressed serious concerns about a new law that would allow college athletes in California to hire agents and be compensated for the use of their names or likenesses through endorsement deals and other moneymaking opportunities.

The law signed last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom would blur the lines between college athletics and professional sports, Scott said Monday at Pac-12 women's basketball media day. He noted that other states considering similar legislation would create an unbalanced state-by-state approach to governing amateur sports.

"We are for choice, and if young people want to earn money from their name, image or likeness or get paid to play, they should have that opportunity. That's called pro sports," said Scott, who met with Pac-12 coaches and student-athletes Monday and discussed the issue. "College sports is different. You go to get an education. It's amateur, they're students. Those are the defining characteristics, and we'd like to see those lines not get blurred."

The NCAA, the main governing body for college sports, had called on Newsom to veto the bill. Some opponents argued it would give California schools an unfair recruiting advantage because student-athletes would have added incentive to go where they could make money.

"Schools recruit nationally, compete for national championships. There have to be common rules that apply," Scott said. "I don't think state-by-state legislators deciding how college sports should run is the way to go, and we're going to be very active in trying to seek a national response and solution, whether it's through the NCAA or otherwise.

"I think the other concern we've got -- while I'm sure the legislators and Gov. Newsom are very well-intended -- those of us that work in college sports understand a lot of flaws with this bill and the way it's written. ... People that understand college sports would immediately understand there's recruiting in college sports, and there's very aggressive recruiting and a lot of competition for student-athletes. And I think the concern is that while it may be well-intentioned to try to provide name, image and likeness opportunities for that very, very small handful -- maybe half a percent, 1% of our student-athletes go on to have successful professional careers and maybe have a name, image and likeness value -- it's pretty clear that there's a market for recruiting student-athletes."

"So the idea that agents would be involved, helping negotiate deals for student-athletes, our concern is that winds up being payment for recruiting and trying to get student-athletes to go to a certain school."

The California law, which is set to take effect in 2023, could have implications for women's sports, Scott and coaches said, though everyone is still evaluating how this might work.

"It's such a delicate line, right? You want players to have opportunities and you never want to limit opportunities, but you also don't want unintended consequences to maybe trickle down to how it could affect women's opportunities and how it could play out in recruiting circles," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "It's this good intention to try to reward image and likeness, is it really going to play out to reward that, or will there be some other things that are taken away that are unintended?

"I think that's sort of my caution, but I don't think I'm educated enough yet to do a side. I think it's a complicated issue that we need to think carefully about and we need to not get sucked up into the momentum of public opinion but at the same time listen well, consider well, research well, and my job is always to look out for especially women's basketball, but women in sport in general."

Oregon State coach Scott Rueck takes great pride in knowing his players will leave the program with an education after having been part of a tight-knit team community through highs and lows.

"There are so many benefits to that experience that I have watched with my own eyes, and their preparation for life beyond what we do, that if this classroom were to be changed in some way that would impact that negatively it would make me sad," Rueck said.

[Merkin]

You go to get an education



All the one and dones who will be collecting the sponsorship money are there to get an education?

The vast majority of college athletes not getting a dime due to this law are there for an education.

[scumdevils86]

Cannot wait till the farce of amateurism and the racket that is the NCAA is gone.

[CalStateTempe]

I’m for whatever Larry Scott is against.

He sees his money tree dying if California goes its own way from the ncaa.

[U.P. Zona Fan]

When I was in college I swam competitively, I also posed for the life art class for money that the college paid me. Does this mean that I profited off of my likeness? Oh my gosh, I was a violator!!! All those wins from the alma college swim team need to be vacated, I'm gonna call Mark emmert in the morning and self report! I'm so ashamed.

[UAEebs86]

When I was in college I swam competitively, I also posed for the life art class for money that the college paid me. Does this mean that I profited off of my likeness? Oh my gosh, I was a violator!!! All those wins from the alma college swim team need to be vacated, I'm gonna call Mark emmert in the morning and self report! I'm so ashamed.

Did you pose nude?

[ByJoveByJingle]

When I was in college I swam competitively, I also posed for the life art class for money that the college paid me. Does this mean that I profited off of my likeness? Oh my gosh, I was a violator!!! All those wins from the alma college swim team need to be vacated, I'm gonna call Mark emmert in the morning and self report! I'm so ashamed.

Did you pose nude?

Good lord, I feel like only a few carefully selected edits could change the tone of that paragraph dramatically.

[U.P. Zona Fan]

Best paying job on campus, for a student. : )

[ASUHATER!]

I dunno I made some big time bucks as a supervisor for Safe Ride...

[Merkin]

[U.P. Zona Fan]

It'll be interesting, now these kids will be taxed, and now state income tax regs may have an influence on what states get more kids. States with no income tax may benefit more than say.... California.
I heard on a radio show on xm, can't remember which one, that some states might propose that if you are making enough money off of name, image, likeness, that the value of the scholarship could be counted as income, as well as books, meals, travel...... And counted as taxable income. It would be crazy, make 150,000 off NIL and owe the state 125,000 because your education and perks are worth 350,000 and you made 150,00 with no write-offs. Effing government.

[ASUHATER!]

Odds of that passing a Democrat led house is 0

[UAEebs86]

[Chicat]

It'll be interesting, now these kids will be taxed, and now state income tax regs may have an influence on what states get more kids. States with no income tax may benefit more than say.... California.
I heard on a radio show on xm, can't remember which one, that some states might propose that if you are making enough money off of name, image, likeness, that the value of the scholarship could be counted as income, as well as books, meals, travel...... And counted as taxable income. It would be crazy, make 150,000 off NIL and owe the state 125,000 because your education and perks are worth 350,000 and you made 150,00 with no write-offs. Effing government.

The NCAA is hellbent on making sure that athletes are NOT treated like employees. Taxing the value of their scholarships is a total non-starter.

Meanwhile, if you need a laugh, check out this jamoke...

[Merkin]

The case doesn’t decide whether students can be paid salaries. Instead, the ruling will help determine whether schools decide to offer athletes tens of thousands of dollars in education-related benefits for things such as computers, graduate scholarships, tutoring, study abroad and internships.

[Chicat]

At a time when we are more politically divided than we’ve been in the last 50 years, it’s good to know that all sides can come together to mutually say “Fuck the NCAA”.

[EastCoastCat]

Amen to that.

[YoDeFoe]

I have no idea how this will all shake out and anyone who feels confident about what college athletics will look like if we define student athletes as employees... well you're more optimistic than I am. Glad I got to experience college sports in its original form while at Arizona.

[Chicat]

I have no idea how this will all shake out and anyone who feels confident about what college athletics will look like if we define student athletes as employees... well you're more optimistic than I am. Glad I got to experience college sports in its original form while at Arizona.

This ruling definitely does not mean that student athletes will be classified as employees. It really just means the NCAA cannot put arbitrary limits on the benefits of their scholarships.

[YoDeFoe]

I have no idea how this will all shake out and anyone who feels confident about what college athletics will look like if we define student athletes as employees... well you're more optimistic than I am. Glad I got to experience college sports in its original form while at Arizona.

This ruling definitely does not mean that student athletes will be classified as employees. It really just means the NCAA cannot put arbitrary limits on the benefits of their scholarships.

I don't mean this ruling specifically, I know its a limited opinion, but rather the direction this is heading (of which this is one step).

[Chicat]

I have no idea how this will all shake out and anyone who feels confident about what college athletics will look like if we define student athletes as employees... well you're more optimistic than I am. Glad I got to experience college sports in its original form while at Arizona.

This ruling definitely does not mean that student athletes will be classified as employees. It really just means the NCAA cannot put arbitrary limits on the benefits of their scholarships.

I don't mean this ruling specifically, I know its a limited opinion, but rather the direction this is heading (of which this is one step).

While I’m not sure what college sports would look like if athletes were treated like employees, I’m ready to see a system where the benefits they receive are more in line with their labor.

Long gone should be the days when coaches get paid millions of dollars and their players are scraping together what loose change they can find in the offseason to fill their cars with gas.

[ASUHATER!]

Whatever college sports looks like, it will certainly look better and be more palatable than the extreme exploitation that most athletes have been under for decades.

[dmjcat]

I think we better be careful what we wish for.

If college basketball recruiting turns into an all out bidding war the poor ole UA is going to wind up at the bottom of the food chain.

Imagine the UA going up against Oregon (and Phil Knights $$$$). Oregon could offer recruits one hell of a shoe deal that the UA would never be able to match.

The UA will never be able to compete with the California schools or Mr. Knight. If college basketball doesn't stay primarily an amateur sport you can kiss the UA's glory days bye forever.

[ASUHATER!]

As much of a fan as I am, the well being of other humans far outweighs any personal rooting interest I have. So then if the UA can't afford to pay players as much...so be it.

[YoDeFoe]

Yeah, I think what it looks like is a lot fewer kids have access to college via sports and we'll have fewer teams to root for because non-revenue sports teams will get cut.

[Merkin]

Jan 1, 2023 California will allow student athletes to receive endorsement deals.

That's going to be tough to compete with even with this new ruling.

[EastCoastCat]

I don't think it will become a bidding war. The sports will be unwatchable which NOBODY wants because that's where the revenue comes from.
They will have to come up with some kind of collective bargaining agreement like they do in the pro's.

[Chicat]

I think we better be careful what we wish for.

If college basketball recruiting turns into an all out bidding war the poor ole UA is going to wind up at the bottom of the food chain.

Imagine the UA going up against Oregon (and Phil Knights $$$$). Oregon could offer recruits one hell of a shoe deal that the UA would never be able to match.

The UA will never be able to compete with the California schools or Mr. Knight. If college basketball doesn't stay primarily an amateur sport you can kiss the UA's glory days bye forever.

You talk like some schools don’t already have inherent advantages and that their boosters and athletic apparel partners don’t already pay to get them access to top level talent in recruiting.

I’d rather it be out in the open than under the table. Under the current system you get shady characters like Book Richardson shaking down agents for cash and insinuating that his bosses and the kids he’s supposed to be coaching are illegally gaming the system for their own benefit.

And you’ll have to excuse me if I don’t weep because a young man or woman can now be given a computer by a school so he can do his schoolwork since, you know… the first word in student athlete is “student”.

[azcat49]

Time to separate college athletics from the academic end of it. Run that side as a business with no bail outs. Reshuffle the deck and we go up or down accordingly.