It’s time. The NCAA needs to establish rules and regulations when it comes to its student-athletes - or should it be employed-student-athletes - instead of a no boundaries approach that is quickly becoming the norm in college athletics.
The college governing body seemingly thinks it has lost authority when it comes to recruiting and released a statement to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 concerning Baylor’s addition of former NBA Draft pick James Nnaji to the roster at mid-season.
The NCAA said in the statement to Goodman that “Schools are recruiting and seeking eligibility for more individuals with more international, semi-pro and professional experience than ever before, and while the NCAA members have updated many rules following the House injunction, more rules must likely be updated to reflect the choices member schools are making.”
On the other side of the quote, the NCAA appears intimidated after the House settlement changed the landscape of college athletics to uncharted waters.
Instead of smooth sailing, it’s been choppy navigating through rough seas searching for a bridge over troubled waters.
“At the same time, NCAA eligibility rules have been invalidated by judges across the country wreaking havoc on the system and leading to fewer opportunities for high school students, which is why the Association is asking Congress to intervene in these challenges.”
I'm not sure how much Congress can intervene in the matter, considering the U.S. Government can’t figure out a way to solve the healthcare crisis in this country.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope and his staff were wrongfully linked to the Baylor method of mid-season recruiting and said what “you see on social media about Kentucky recruiting that is just so wrong.”
“It is just so off, but it’s beautiful. I mean, it’s beautiful. We’re shocked and surprised a lot of times to hear different variations and directions and stories,” Pope said Monday on his weekly radio show. “I think a lot of times people put information out just because they’re trying to raise their own profile, whether it’s agents or players or they’re trying to increase their negotiating leverage, with us in some cases or with some other school in some cases. There’s so much out there publicly, and we just kind of shake our heads and be like, ‘Man, it’s just — we’re living in a uniquely interesting world in terms of how creative reporting in general on social media and as a body is right now.’
“We’re always going to do our recruiting work, and we’ll search every avenue there is to search, but it’s one of the beautiful things about being at Kentucky, man. Everybody’s talking a lot about it — very little of it is accurate, but it’s fun.”
Pope said the move by Baylor is a “place that none of us imagined we would be three months ago.
“I think that it was beyond assumed that if you had played in NBA games, or if you’d been drafted, that there was going to be no space for you in the college game,” he said. “Clearly, that’s all changing so fast — which is exciting. I mean it. I don’t know that we’re in a space to have much opinion on whether it’s right or wrong, because you can debate those ideas from now until forever, and they’re actually really complicated solutions, probably, that would have to take place.
“It’s a really dynamic space right now. It is. It is problematic in a lot of complicated ways for college basketball, and we’re gonna have to find some answers.”
Pope’s predecessor, John Calipari, already has an answer and spent more than five minutes giving his opinion following a win over James Madison on Monday night.
“I don’t blame coaches because I’ve got friends who are playing with 27-year-olds and they feel bad,” Calipari said. “Don’t feel bad. We don’t have any rules. Why should you feel bad? But, let me give you this. Real simple. The rules be the rules. If you put your name in the (NBA) Draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia. If you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball. ‘Well that’s only for American kids.’ What? If your name is in that draft and you got drafted, you can’t play college basketball.
"If he puts his name in the draft, you can’t go to college. He left his name in.”
The former Kentucky coach, in my opinion is correct. The NCAA needs to do its job and establish the ground rules instead of letting member schools just do their own thing without providing clarity and boundaries.
It’s unfair on the schools, players and coaches. It’s time for the NCAA to set rules and regulations and not wait on Congress to do its job.
Keith Taylor is sports editor of Kentucky Today.
