The NCAA just can’t get a break.
Right after it thought the whole Jameis Winston media fiasco around his sexual assault case was finally behind it, news recently came out that both Florida State and campus police in Tallahassee, Fla., may have tried to stall the NCAA’s investigation while it was underway.
On top of that, news came out Friday that fellow Heisman hopeful and Georgia running back Todd Gurley is likely to miss the entire season because of a violation of a questionable NCAA rule about autographed memorabilia and possible compensation from that memorabilia.
And as recently as Saturday, reports found that the same dealer that sold $400 worth of Todd Gurley-signed memorabilia also authenticated more than 100 Jameis Winston autographs as well.
So it’s safe to say the NCAA headquarters isn’t a fun place to be right now.
But although the rule about athletes autographing and receiving compensation for their signatures, jerseys and status as a college football player is clearly prohibited, let’s not ignore the fact that it’s a ?ridiculous rule.
The players should at least be allowed to receive compensation from their status as players when that money is basically chump change compared to the millions of dollars the NCAA and schools rake in using those same likenesses for promotion and jersey ?sales alone.
That said, it’s encouraging that Georgia came out in full support of Gurley in a press release, stating it would fully cover his legal representation and support him as a member of ?the school.
“While the university does not tolerate any violation of NCAA rules, the university has supported and continues to support its student-athletes,” it stated Friday.
As just one example, when this matter arose, the university offered separate legal counsel to Todd. The university recommended — and Todd retained — counsel with vast experience with eligibility matters, and the university continues to pay for Todd’s counsel, as permitted by NCAA rules.
“We have made clear to Todd that regardless of what happens with this case, he is still a member of the Bulldog family, and we will support him in every way ?we can.”
It’s not an endorsement of Gurley’s innocence by any means.
But it’s refreshing to see a school come out in such staunch support of its student athletes in the face of what many people and fans alike believe he shouldn’t be punished for in the ?first place.
And in part, at least, we and athletes have IU to thank for that.
In recent years, Athletics Director Fred Glass has helped contribute to a climate of support for the school’s student athletes over support for the increasingly bureaucratic NCAA, perhaps as much as any school official in ?the country.
It culminated in a “Bill of Rights” that quantified the value of an education and offered unprecedented support in favor of these ?student athletes.
But more than that, it offered a progressive model for other officials across the country to look at ?and emulate.
If more schools continue to come out in support of their athletes over their bureaucratic obligations to the Association, it’s going to prove harder and harder for the NCAA to justify keeping those rules around in the first place.
We need trendsetters like Glass and the Georgia athletic director to get the ball moving, though, or else we’ll never see that change in the world of ?college athletics.
Here’s to hoping that change comes sooner rather than later.
aknorth@indiana.edu
