The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has put together a special task force to push for reforms in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) the News and Observer reports.
In a recent press release, CBC chairman Representative Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA) said, "The purpose of this task force is to assess the treatment of student-athletes, including the extent to which they are able to get a college education and the money that influences college sports, including the revenue that is generated by the student-athletes themselves."
The formation of the task force comes as scandals plague the NCAA and as calls increase for student-athletes to be given a piece of the multi-billion dollar college sports industry.
Over the course of the last year, the FBI has indicted four assistant coaches from top schools; misdeeds have also led to the suspensions of recruiters and the firing of a Hall of Fame coach. A long running scandal at UNC-Chapel Hill, where several athletes took no-show classes to remain eligible to play sports, is also of concern to the CBC, which fears that North Carolina isn't the only school engaged in the practice.
“It’s not limited to North Carolina. You worry about real classes. You worry about grades. You worry about attendance. You worry that the student is getting something out of it,” Richmond said. “We know that everyone won’t go pro, but we hope that they’re getting a skill set to go along with the relationships that they’re forming that they can sustain a family and prosper."
Richmond said the CBC worries about the future of students given a poor education so that they can continue to play, claiming that the NCAA puts athletes into a “predatory situation.”
"If they’re not taking real classes, if they’re being pushed through the system, then that does not serve the student-athlete well and it’s a great disservice," the representative said. I don’t think it’s limited to one or two schools, either. I think it’s more the norm as opposed to the exception.”
On the matter of student-athletes getting a share of the NCAA's profits, Richmond said, “There are athletic directors that get $50,000, $60,000 bonuses just because their team makes it to the tournament. The school gets money. The coaches get a bonus for making it to the tournament. Everybody gets something for making it to the tournament, except the athletes. I’m not saying that it has to be compensation that they receive but we ought to take a good look at the rules surrounding it.”
The CBC's ultimate goal is to "protect" the students, Richmond said, arguing that because so much money is at stake, they are surrounded by "so many adults that want to prey on them." He added, “I’ve watched athletes go to schools and I’ve watched them do very well and I’ve watched them struggle when they finish and when you see that story personally so many times, at some point, you have to do something about it.”
In order to push for reforms, Richmond said the CBC plans to “engage college players, coaches, and administrators, as well as leaders at the NCAA, to determine what if anything needs to be done at the federal level to ensure student-athletes are getting what they’re giving to our most prestigious colleges and universities.”
The NCAA is also conducting its own review led by former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice. Rice is expected to deliver her reform recommendations when the NCAA’s leadership meets in April.
