If I’ve learned anything in my seven-odd months as a sports writer for the Emerald it’s this: The NCAA is a columnist’s best friend.
Every week, so much filth emanates from everyone’s favorite nonprofit organization that it’s hard to keep up. You’ll forgive me, then, if I take this opportunity to harp on a piece of news that surfaced last week.
That’s when the NCAA Board of Directors announced the adoption of a new rule that will affect NBA-bound college basketball players.
The new rule requires college basketball players to decide whether they want to stay in the upcoming NBA draft before the first day of the spring signing period, which usually falls in mid-April. (In 2012, the first day of the spring signing period is April 12). Currently, players have until May 8 to make that decision.
This isn’t the first time the NCAA moved up the withdrawal date. Prior to 2009, players had until mid-June, just weeks before the draft, to decide whether it was in their best interests to turn pro or return to school.
That was bad enough, but it gave players on teams that had advanced in the NCAA tournament at least one full month to gather information on their draft stock and make an informed choice.
The new rule could give players only a week.
So why, you ask, did the NCAA make such a move? There’s really only one truthful answer, but first, here’s the NCAA’s explanation, from its website:
“The change, effective beginning next year, is intended to help keep student-athletes focused on academics in the spring term and to give coaches a better idea of their roster for the coming year before the recruiting period is closed.”
It should be clear, by now, which of those two rationales holds any weight. If the NCAA was truly concerned about student-athlete academics, why would they A) require basketball teams to leave campus (and classes) early just to get to “open practices” before NCAA Tournament games, B) allow college baseball teams to play multiple games on weeknights and endure long road trips that take away from class time or C) hold mid-week football games that not only reduce class time for football players, but also for much of the general student population that spends game day “preparing” for kickoff, etc.
Clearly, academic considerations take a backseat to the almighty dollar.
The NCAA’s decision basically boils down to helping coaches — the guys who are getting paid six and seven figures each year — at the expense of teenagers and guys in their early 20s.
There’s a lot that goes into a player’s decision to enter the NBA draft. The strength of the draft (and the following year’s draft, for comparisons sake), NBA team needs, and depth at a certain position (power forward, for example) all factor into where he’ll eventually be picked.
We often scoff at retired pro athletes who have squandered their fortunes through foolish investments. And yes, maybe buying 10 cars and having eight children out of wedlock isn’t the best financial strategy. But while still in college, shouldn’t the “amateur” athletes get the benefit of the doubt? College basketball coaches will be fine — they survived with later draft deadlines for years.
But for a college basketball player, where the difference in becoming a first-round and second-round pick can literally be millions (first rounders have guaranteed contracts, second rounders don’t), collecting every last bit of draft stock information is of the highest importance. They’re not paid for filling up arenas across the country or for being the straw that stirs the lucrative “March Madness” drink. But the players should at least be granted the courtesy to have enough time to make an informed choice about their futures.