By Dimitrios Kontagiannis, Sports Editor
What if I told you that the FBI cares more about a college athlete getting a free lunch from a recruiter than investigating a recent school shooting threat?
You would think it’s ridiculous, but it’s true. The FBI recently investigated the alleged wiretapping of money to NCAA athletes, but overlooked tips that would have led them to the Parkland, Fla.. shooter. This article isn’t about school shootings though, it’s about the FBI having the wrong priorities, and the corruptness of the NCAA.
Earlier this year, I was really on the fence about athletes getting paid, which is why I wrote an article arguing both sides. But I’ve since realized NCAA athletes are already getting paid, and if the NCAA isn’t going to pay them, the coaches are.
According to numerous news reports, University of Arizona basketball head coach Sean Miller was wiretapped over the phone giving DeAndre Ayton around $100,000 to come to the college. Ayton was the No. 3 prospect in the 2017 ESPN 100 and was the top center of the 2017 class. Due to the scandal, Arizona lost Shareef O’Neal, No. 29, in the 2018 ESPN 100. O’Neal is the son of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.
The NCAA generates billions of dollars in revenue. Just think of all the sports that go on, and all the ads in those games, and the ticket sales. That, and way more make the NCAA beyond rich, and you’re concerned about a player (Michigan State’s Miles Bridges) getting a $70 lunch paid for by coaches and associates?
It’s amazing how many of these reports are just students getting food paid for by coaches such as Duke forward Wendell Carter Jr. getting a $106.36 lunch paid for, or former North Carolina center Tony Bradley getting a $100.90 lunch paid for.
Why is this a priority for the NCAA rather than actually trying to make the NCAA better for everyone, players included?
I know what you’re thinking, it can’t just be these little payments? And it’s not. Former North Carolina State guard Dennis Smith Jr. and former Kentucky center Bam Adebayo are among the multiple athletes that reportedly got paid over $10,000 to go to their respective schools.
So what’s the deal? Has the NCAA just now decided to become greedy? One million dollars is not even a dent in the NCAA’s fortune. The truth is the NCAA has always been greedy, and is not really a nonprofit organization like they claim.
So what do we do? We should meet in the middle. The players should at least get a share of anything the NCAA profits from. The best idea I’ve heard is that the NCAA should sell players’ jerseys, and the players will get at least a share of the money from the sales. I’ve also heard the idea of letting players go straight to the NBA from high school like they used to. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett are just some of the hall of famers that went straight to the NBA from high school. Anything to get these players what they deserve.
The argument you always hear is that the players are going to college for free so they don’t need any more money. The thing is that other college students that aren’t athletes are able to work, able to sell things, and people are able to buy lunches for normal students. And on top of all of it, these students usually go the college for four years or more, while the elite NCAA basketball players only attend for the required one year, then declare for the NBA draft. These players go to practice every day, use every moment not being in school working on their craft, and are always away from school itself because of away games.
It makes sense to give these athletes their fair share, but they will never get it, because the NCAA is greedy. Period.