Replies for Discussion

Discussion post from Shannon Petrina

The landscape of the NCAA has made many major changes over recent years, especially in the last couple of years. The NCAA governance is set up from legislative bodies whom are volunteers from member schools, and these groups govern the different divisions and set association wide policies, with the highest governing body being the board of governors (NCAA). One of the biggest changes to the NCAA was in 2021 with NIL, which the decision was made to let student athletes be able to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, to which they were not able to do up until then. As for the governance of the NCAA, a future role for them could be to regulate the the rules and structures of the sports, rather than the athletes that participate in the sports (Keilty, 2024). There has also been the change with the transfer portal which begun around the same time as the NIL, and allows student athletes to transfer without having to sit out or ask permission from their school like they did before, which has made it a lot easier of a process for students to process. When thinking about that, it seems a lot of students are choosing to move around and leave their schools to find where they can make the most money. This can put a lot of pressure on the NCAA governance as there has been a variety of different lawsuits against them which has been reason for some of these changes. Even as of last month, student athletes that attended a junior college were granted another year of eligibility at their four year institutions. The governance is having to create a space where it is friendly for both the student athletes, the schools and the organization of the NCAA in itself. This hasn’t been easy and there has been a lot that has come to a head and looks like it may continue until all parties can be happy with its decisions, agree, or at least acknowledge and work together. Integrity will be the biggest issue they face, and figuring out how they can create a fair place for everyone that participates. One thing they have had a lot of, is participation, from not only the athletes, but people from all over who buy into and love college sports. So the governance must look into how they can keep growing what has become such a popular organization, as well as making it one that everyone can benefit from.

Keilty, D. (2024, February 27).  Courting Fair Play: The Future of the NCAA’s Role in College Sports Governance. Vanderbilt University. https://www.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/2024/02/27/courting-fair-play-the-future-of-the-ncaas-role-in-college-sports-governance/

NCAA. (2021, February 9).  Governance. NCAA.org. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/9/governance.aspx" https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/9/governance.aspx

Discussion Post from Marcus Lawrence

This is a rather difficult assignment to complete. I find it hard-pressed to think of any athletic governing body that is doing the job well. That said, I have to acknowledge that leadership is often a thankless job. It requires, amongst other things, making difficult decisions that are often unpopular with some stakeholders while being popular with others. With that in mind, I will highlight some areas in recent years where the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is doing well. 

The NCAA is in charge of setting rules and regulations geared toward creating a fair and equitable playing field in collegiate athletics. For many decades the NCAA achieved this by creating and upholding strict rules governing eligibility and amateurism. During these times schools, families, and student-athletes were generally clear about the expectations and the activities that they were allowed to participate in as compared to those from which they were prohibited. However, the NCAA struggled with consistency and the players often felt as if they were being left out of the money pot that collegiate athletics became known for. 

The NCAA did a good job of adjusting to this when players stood up to these rules and began to file lawsuits that would ultimately give them more rights as student-athletes. As a result, the NCAA has become very supportive of student-athletes by adjusting their worldview to empower the student-athletes to earn money based on their potential and market value. This is a far cry from the times of athletes, coaches, and athletic departments getting punished for barbeques and Mcdonalds' bags.

The NCAA also made it so that student-athletes can explore new opportunities when their present situation is not working out. Previously, when a student-athlete wanted to transfer to a new school they would forfeit a year of eligibility by doing so. That rule made it cumbersome and oftentimes unproductive for the athlete's future and therefore, very few athletes would transfer. Now, players are able to transfer multiple times a year during the designated timeframes as determined by the NCAA. This has created unprecedented leverage for the student-athlete and their opportunities. 

Growth and progress do not always appear in normal means. As mentioned before, high-level decisions are not always popular with everyone involved. Many people are upset and disappointed by this change in governance. In fact, some consider it a lack of governance while others consider it pure chaos. The NCAA has made changes and for some they are outstanding, but for others, they are disastrous. 

Discussion post from Shannon Petrina

The landscape of the NCAA has made many major changes over recent years, especially in the last couple of years. The NCAA governance is set up from legislative bodies whom are volunteers from member schools, and these groups govern the different divisions and set association wide policies, with the highest governing body being the board of governors (NCAA). One of the biggest changes to the NCAA was in 2021 with NIL, which the decision was made to let student athletes be able to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, to which they were not able to do up until then. As for the governance of the NCAA, a future role for them could be to regulate the the rules and structures of the sports, rather than the athletes that participate in the sports (Keilty, 2024). There has also been the change with the transfer portal which begun around the same time as the NIL, and allows student athletes to transfer without having to sit out or ask permission from their school like they did before, which has made it a lot easier of a process for students to process. When thinking about that, it seems a lot of students are choosing to move around and leave their schools to find where they can make the most money. This can put a lot of pressure on the NCAA governance as there has been a variety of different lawsuits against them which has been reason for some of these changes. Even as of last month, student athletes that attended a junior college were granted another year of eligibility at their four year institutions. The governance is having to create a space where it is friendly for both the student athletes, the schools and the organization of the NCAA in itself. This hasn’t been easy and there has been a lot that has come to a head and looks like it may continue until all parties can be happy with its decisions, agree, or at least acknowledge and work together. Integrity will be the biggest issue they face, and figuring out how they can create a fair place for everyone that participates. One thing they have had a lot of, is participation, from not only the athletes, but people from all over who buy into and love college sports. So the governance must look into how they can keep growing what has become such a popular organization, as well as making it one that everyone can benefit from.

Keilty, D. (2024, February 27).  Courting Fair Play: The Future of the NCAA’s Role in College Sports Governance. Vanderbilt University. https://www.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/2024/02/27/courting-fair-play-the-future-of-the-ncaas-role-in-college-sports-governance/

NCAA. (2021, February 9).  Governance. NCAA.org. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/9/governance.aspx" https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2021/2/9/governance.aspx

Discussion Post from Marcus Lawrence

This is a rather difficult assignment to complete. I find it hard-pressed to think of any athletic governing body that is doing the job well. That said, I have to acknowledge that leadership is often a thankless job. It requires, amongst other things, making difficult decisions that are often unpopular with some stakeholders while being popular with others. With that in mind, I will highlight some areas in recent years where the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is doing well. 

The NCAA is in charge of setting rules and regulations geared toward creating a fair and equitable playing field in collegiate athletics. For many decades the NCAA achieved this by creating and upholding strict rules governing eligibility and amateurism. During these times schools, families, and student-athletes were generally clear about the expectations and the activities that they were allowed to participate in as compared to those from which they were prohibited. However, the NCAA struggled with consistency and the players often felt as if they were being left out of the money pot that collegiate athletics became known for. 

The NCAA did a good job of adjusting to this when players stood up to these rules and began to file lawsuits that would ultimately give them more rights as student-athletes. As a result, the NCAA has become very supportive of student-athletes by adjusting their worldview to empower the student-athletes to earn money based on their potential and market value. This is a far cry from the times of athletes, coaches, and athletic departments getting punished for barbeques and Mcdonalds' bags.

The NCAA also made it so that student-athletes can explore new opportunities when their present situation is not working out. Previously, when a student-athlete wanted to transfer to a new school they would forfeit a year of eligibility by doing so. That rule made it cumbersome and oftentimes unproductive for the athlete's future and therefore, very few athletes would transfer. Now, players are able to transfer multiple times a year during the designated timeframes as determined by the NCAA. This has created unprecedented leverage for the student-athlete and their opportunities. 

Growth and progress do not always appear in normal means. As mentioned before, high-level decisions are not always popular with everyone involved. Many people are upset and disappointed by this change in governance. In fact, some consider it a lack of governance while others consider it pure chaos. The NCAA has made changes and for some they are outstanding, but for others, they are disastrous.