CBB: Athletes Speak Out Against NCAA
The current college basketball season is nearing its pinnacle as Selection Sunday is less than three weeks away, and the ever-enticing March Madness follows. But this entire campaign has had a shadow directly over it, which is the ongoing FBI probe into collegiate basketball. Just prior to the beginning of the season, way back in November, a report was released that explained the wrongdoing of several universities and athletic programs. And the potential sanctions could impact a large number of major schools. Adding on to the FBI investigation, was another story of possible wrongdoing.
This was a lengthy exploration into the Louisville men's basketball program and the sex scandal that resulted in the program having to vacate their 2013 national title. The scandal first came about from a 2015 book, by Katrina Powell, titled "Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen." Louisville fired head coach Rick Pitino just before the 2017-18 season began, and were forced to vacate 123 victories from 2010-2014, which included the aforementioned 2013 title and a trip to the 2012 Final Four. The Louisville news is just an addition to the FBI probe that has made this season difficult to endure.
According to the Washington Post, there are up to three dozen teams that could be facing NCAA violations in the future. "This goes a lot deeper in college basketball than four corrupt assistant coaches,” one of Yahoo! Sports' Pete Thamel’s sources said. “When this all comes out, Hall of Fame coaches should be scared, lottery picks won’t be eligible to play and almost half of the 16 teams the NCAA showed on its initial NCAA Tournament show this weekend should worry about their appearance being vacated." The FBI has obtained information from financial records, e-mails, and wiretaps.
It is reported that the FBI seized a cellphone from an NBA agent, Andy Miller, as well. Apparently, there have been approximately 4,000 telephone conversations recorded. Adidas executive Merl Code and former agent Christian Dawkins are facing single counts of wire fraud. Former assistant coaches from Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State, and USC face charges too. ESPN author and columnist Mark Schlabach explained: "The breadth of potential NCAA rules violations uncovered is wide enough to fundamentally and indelibly alter the sports of college basketball."
Dylan Haines, a former student athlete at the University of Texas, told me "I think the NCAA has done a poor job of allowing players to reap the benefits of playing basketball at that level." He would also go on to add that although he doesn't agree with the current set of rules, athletes still must abide by them and respect them. Haines also mentioned that he believes student athletes need to be paid for their contributions: "I think on top of the current cost of living, players should receive bonuses for playing and contributing to the revenue stream of that specific sports program."
Haines continued, saying that student athletes have to be treated like professionals because they endure the same aspects of sports that professionals do, without the compensation. "They train as hard if not harder than professionals," he said. "If 100,000 people pay to watch you play every Saturday then you are a professional and should be treated like one." Haines is far from the first athlete to speak out against the NCAA, joining the likes of Cardale Jones, Kevin Durant, Lonzo Ball, Michael Bennett, Richard Sherman, and many others. It's become obvious that college athletics need a change and these investigations might spark just that.
Kevin Ware, who was an integral part of the Louisville team that won the title five years ago, tweeted "Still got this fat (expletive) ring which means my guys definitely won a chip" after the announcement was made that the Cardinals had to vacate their victories. "I feel like everyone that was legally documented to be involved should be punished. I don’t see what the NCAA is trying to prove by taking away a championship from guys that weren’t even involved," Ware later told me. "I don’t really have any words for the NCAA honestly." Ware played for Louisville and Georgia State from 2011-2016, and is now playing professionally overseas.
Ware also said "90 percent of people would agree that players definitely should be paid. NCAA gives us scholarships and tells us to go play like this is enough. They generate almost a billion dollars yearly and players don’t see one percent of this. That’s crazy to me.” According to the NCAA, during the 2011-12 season, they generated $871.6 million, 81 percent of which came from television and marketing rights fees, headlined by a 14-year agreement between CBS, Turner Sports, and the NCAA for rights to the annual NCAA Tournament. That deal is reportedly worth $10.8 billion.
"I don’t know how serious the ongoing investigation is with all of these schools," Ware added. "I would hope nothing (too) serious because bans from tournament play could be (the) result." In a Yahoo! Sports story by Pat Forde and Pete Thamel, that broke Friday morning, dozens of current and former athletes were named in the investigation that could lead to possible sanctions and suspensions. Some of the players named included Brian Bowen (South Carolina), Collin Sexton (Alabama), Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State), Kevin Knox (Kentucky) Kyle Kuzma (Utah), Markelle Fultz (Washington), Wendell Carter (Duke), and many more.
It was also reported that the mother of current Michigan State forward and potential NBA Draft lottery pick, Miles Bridges, received money. Some of the universities that were directly named were: Alabama, Duke, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina, Texas, and USC. The bank records and documents that were found by the FBI trace back to Miller and Dawkins, who worked together at ASM Sports. "They include expense reports and balance sheets that list cash advances, as well as entertainment and travel expenses for high school and college prospects and their families," said Forde and Thamel.
It's uncertain whether the current state of college basketball will be forever altered, but it's obvious that when the FBI case is fully exposed, there are going to be a lot of high profile agents, athletes, executives, and universities involved. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego State has suspended senior Malik Pope after allegations of him receiving $1,400 came about. Pope could be the first of many suspended with March Madness looming. But the question remains in all of these scandals: What can be done to stop this from happening again? People like Haines and Ware believe paying athletes would help fix this systemic issue.
UPDATED: The FBI wiretaps have discovered that Sean Miller, the Arizona head coach, discussed a deal with Dawkins in which they discussed paying $100,000 to make sure five-star recruit, DeAndre Ayton, would sign with the Wildcats, according to ESPN. Another athlete to be suspended is Texas' Eric Davis Jr. According to the Dallas Morning News, the University of Texas has announced that Davis will be held out of games as the school assesses the situation. Davis reportedly received $1,500. He is averaging 8.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game and will miss at least the Oklahoma State game this coming Saturday.
Photo Credit: Courier Journal.
