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The penalties may even stretch into the player's NFL career. The rules would be enforced by the NFL Players Union. The goal is for the NFL and the NCAA to engage in a stronger degree of collusion to ensure that athletes do not obtain revenue for their play on the field.
Much of the recent action by the NCAA comes from a probe into the program at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where agents have been found to be interacting with players. In addition to illegal behavior among sports agents, the NCAA has investigated whether there was academic misconduct.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are losing big as a result of the probe, with three of their most effective players being put on the sidelines. One of the players, Robert Quinn, was declared ineligible after receiving $4,900 from agents, while a second player, Greg Little, received roughly $10,000.
I find it interesting that officials are concerned about some of the North Carolina players receiving a few thousand dollars in benefits for risking their lives on the field, while the coach, Butch Davis, is paid at least $1.8 million per year from the NCAA. Additionally, the NCAA earns hundreds of millions of dollars every year from bowl games, endorsement deals and selling jerseys of the players who march up and down the field. All the while, many of these players have mothers who can't afford to buy groceries and are getting evicted from their apartments.
I've often wondered why the NCAA and NFL are allowed to engage in collusion (along with state legislators) to restrict the labor rights of college athletes in order to keep them from receiving fair market compensation for their work. If any corporate entity wants to give money directly to the NCAA, they are always glad to take it. But if anyone attempts to share that money with the athletes who actually earn it, the NCAA immediately punishes the athlete and institution involved.
There is a racial dimension to this issue as well. Many of the players earning the revenue are black, while those who are receiving the revenue and making laws to control the athletes are white. As a result, the NCAA strips over a billion dollars per year from the African American community. Even more interesting is the fact that so many African American males are lured into a system that is far more interested in keeping athletes' hands off the money than they are in seeing that the athlete gets a proper education. As a professor at several universities with big time athletics programs (Kentucky, Indiana, Syracuse, Ohio State), I have seen this system up close for the past 17 years and it honestly disgusts me.
I am hopeful that one day, conscientious legislators will take steps to stop allowing the NCAA to operate in a way that would be illegal in nearly any other industry. If we were to try to restrict the labor rights of teachers, accountants, Major League Baseball players, or police officers in a similar way, people would be screaming from the rooftops. But for some reason, when it comes to college athletes, some of whom have struggling families, we are determined to help the rich get richer and to keep the athletes poor and uneducated. The entire African American community should be offended, and I plan to fight on this issue for the next several years.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 
Comments: (10)
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By: milkjoycecici12 on 10/26/2010 1:53AM
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By: Brady on 10/26/2010 2:21AM
"There is a racial dimension to this issue as well.'
Isnt there always! If there wasnt, we can be sure you'd manufacture one.
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By: alie on 10/26/2010 6:11AM
Why don't this kids also get a private tutor to help them concentrate on their education, like a one on one, that way they will have to keep up with both, if the football fails the degree is ensured, i saw this in the blindside movie, when big mike went of to college, his legal guardians paid for and continued to ensure that he had private tution to keep him on the straight and narrow.
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By: M. Alexander on 10/26/2010 8:41AM
I agree with the kids getting their education but unless you've been exposed to the system of big time college sports you have no idea what goes on !
I played D1 football in the 1990s and of my 4 years I played my team went to 3 major bowl games winning 2 and I can't even guess how much money we made winning the bowl games, tv appearances etc etc !
Our head coach got fat pay raises after each bowl ending season and we as players got a chance at a free 4 year education which roughly cost the school somewhere in the neighborhood of $60,000 per player and I'm sure they were making somewhere in the neighborhood of at least $20-35 million so you do the math !
If the colleges paid these kids, they could curtail the crooked agents who prey on poor inner city African-American youth who come an unstable home life, unstable parent(s), poor unstable communities where crime is rampant and often a way of life if it weren't for sports and these agents know if they wave $100,000 in the face of a kid from that background, chances are he'll take it !
The schools know most of these kids are deficient in their studies but they pull strings to get the kid in the program because of his talent and everyone looks the other way until the NCAA comes a callin then everyone gets amnesia and leaves the kids out to dry !
This process is repeated over and over again on most college campuses nationwide especially the elite the programs !
Now in my case when recruiters came to visit me, my mom and dad would ask the recruiter for his schools graduation rates among Black athletes and most could not produce any numbers or they would be some low if wasn't worth mentioning !
When my parents inquired about academics, the recruiter would stare blankly like a deer caught in headlights because most college recruiters aren't accustomed to being the questions my parents asked when they visit Black athletes !
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By: bob on 10/26/2010 8:51AM
blah blah blah...Watkins again with the pay the college black athletes....blah blah blah. college is racist against black athletes, blah blah blah. Maybe if Watkins wasn't such a racist people would take him seriously. Nothing worse than a liberial racist!
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By: alie on 10/26/2010 10:33AM
yuh why are even on here dude? you are like a irretant you don't belong here go somewhere else like a white site!
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By: alie on 10/26/2010 10:36AM
M Alexander I know what you mean, it's like bob marley said in an interview when he was talking about the music industry before he got a break with chris black, he say the record industry was making millions and they would get you sing a song for $20 dollars, they sell your record for millions and you get a small percentage, then to add to this they will let you sign bogus contracts which stripped away a lot of your rights, while they go laughing all the way to the bank, you do the maths, which you have, education is the key, these kids should get a one to one teacher included in the contract paid for with there private tutor room and board included on the campus, education is the key, that's one way of having a private education, i mean white players do it all the time.
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By: J. C. on 10/26/2010 3:45PM
I recently discussed this issue with an employment attorney. The benefits received by student athletes, stipend for room and board and a "free" education, are recognized as valid consideration for the athletes efforts. However, the NCAA and collegiate programs have found ways to maximize their profits while paying the athlete the bare minimum. As a former Division one college athlete, I've seen the NCAA's corrupt structure first hand.
The NCAA regulates athletes time spent participating in sports by requiring schools to adhere to NCAA compliance rules. However, Schools bypass these rules by requiring athletes to participate in "voluntary" workouts and meetings.
It is well known in the athletic community that these "voluntary" workouts are not voluntary at all. Refusing to participate can, and will, result in decreased playing time and overall negative impression on the program.
Compliance rules require athletes to sign forms accounting for hours spent participating in sports. The forms are often complete when players receive them, leaving the player the option to sign or not sign, where a failure to sign could result in decreased playing time. By doing so, athletes consent to NCAA compliance by affirming they've spent 4 hours participating where they've spent 8 hours or more in voluntary workouts and meetings.
Programs reach levels of success because of the large amount of work athletes put in. The more you practice, the better you are, resulting in more tickets being sold.
Athletes are compensated for 4 hours where they often work more than 8. As long as the paperwork is pushed through and athletes playing time are threatened, the problem will never be resolved. Those who are affected are afraid to stand up and those who regulate the matter suffer financial loss if they stand against the machine. Lose/Lose for the athlete.
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By: HBSS on 11/03/2010 5:53PM
Should the NCAA be able to set artificial limits on scholarships given to student-athletes? Should they be able to deny scholarship renewals for any reason including staffing changes and injuries? I work with attorneys who believe NCAA engages in illegal practices that puts profound financial pressure on college athletes. If you are a student-athlete at a NCAA-affiliated university and had your scholarship terminated, please visit hbsslaw.com/ncaa-antitrust for more information.
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By: Incredulous on 12/30/2010 8:33PM
Interesting racist comments from one poster above ("go to a white site") from someone who doesn't want to hear an opposite viewpoint. Pay players? How much? Does the 3rd-stringer get the same amount as the future first-round draft pick? Does the center get as much as the QB? Do all colleges have to operate under the same pay scale? If a player doesn't perform, can his salary be reduced? Why even bother having them go to class anymore...let's just make the colleges pro teams and let them play as long as they want. Fools...use your heads for a change.
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