Amongst the troubles with the NCAA is that it's an unregulated monopoly. Oh
yes, every now and then there's a Congressional Inquiry, but that's only after
some Congress-person's Alma Mater has gotten slapped with sanctions. I work
for an organization that used to be a regulated monopoly, and we could be
very arrogant. The NCAA is even more so.
 
Another problem seems that the NCAA is trying to regulate "fairness", an
almost impossible task. Their requlations need overhauling, but what they
seem to do instead is add codicil after codicil as "unfair situations" arise.
The recent boycott of the Black Coaches Association was over the NCAA's
tendency to overregulate.
 
How would I fix the NCAA? I would allow athletes to major in their sport. I
would eliminate all rules that treat athletes as non-students. I would make
it easier to form new leagues, so that teams that want to play by the same
rules can find each other. And I would make it easier for an athlete to
transfer. And I would require Bowl games to run a Hockey tournament, as well.
 
I doubt, though, if Hockey could secceed. Some school might go for it, but the
NCAA would probably retaliate against the schools' other sports, so the
Big Ten, Big East, and Ivy schools (among others) would not want to risk
harming their precious football and basketball.
 
I wonder, though, if other sports also feel screwed by the NCAA. Do other
sports that are very popular, but on a regional basis, such as baseball and
volleyball, complain about NCAA treatment?
 
Ken Kretsch
BU `79 (and a veteran of the `78 Beanpot Blizzard)
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