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With latest NCAA settlement, there’s no going back to what college sports once was

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1 month ago

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John Rooke
 |  Special to The Providence Journal

Thinking out loud…while wondering if RSVP’ing to a wedding invitation “maybe next time” is a proper response…

The future of college athletics is anything but secure these days. Change is here.

A likely $2.8 billion payout over the next 10 years to settle NIL “back pay” looms in the immediate future as the NCAA and power conferences move forward – and those outside the power leagues are left to twist in the wind, force fed a settlement like a little kid eating his vegetables.

The settlement agreed upon in the past week could resolve three major antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA that carry the threat of some $20 billion in damages, which would certainly deal a crippling blow to the organization. So, you see the “why” behind the need to settle.

More: NCAA lawsuit settlement agreement allowing revenue sharing with athletes faces unresolved questions

The settlement was also thought to be a move toward eliminating school collectives, since the schools themselves will begin sharing revenue (i.e. paying) with their athletes. That likely won’t be the case, however.

Too much toothpaste has been squeezed from that tube for collectives to disappear. It’s already become big business. And schools can fund those collectives (as will donors), essentially paying athletes for marketing services.

Has anyone stopped to consider – settling these cases also might SAVE the NCAA? And SAVE the beloved NCAA Basketball Tournament?

Yahoo! Sports’ Dan Wetzel penned a piece on this as the conferences began approving legal settlements last week – and he hit on a key point: The power leagues need everyone else (the non-FBS conferences, like the Big East) to kick into the legal kitty over the next 10 years.

Without them, the bigger boys can’t earn what they hope to profit, and risk losing billions in court. And perhaps more importantly, they can’t go off on their own and break away from the NCAA to form a “super league” as has been mentioned.

Oh, they CAN do that. But at a very large and unplanned for expense. Which means for now – March Madness should be secure for at least another decade because the power leagues need the non-FBS conferences to pay their share – whatever it comes to – of the NCAA settlement.

Whether they like it or not, Florida State, Ohio State and Penn State need Brown, Bryant, and URI. They need Providence, too… to make their money. And to pay their bills.

NCAA membership likely remains together, differences be damned, under one roof.

Grand Poobah Charlie Baker, you sly dog. Either you’re riding a gravy train with biscuit wheels… or the perfect example of a blind squirrel finding a nut.

The college sports world will complete its metamorphosis perhaps as soon as 2025. The ultimate approval will come from a federal judge, which will likely take several months, following so much handwringing, so many discussions and the feelings of inevitability that can no longer be pushed aside.

Here’s the reality: Amateur sports, and college sports – as we have known them for more than 100 years – are forever changed, like it or not. If you’re going to play the game, learn the new rules.

We are SO going to miss the good ol’ days of what – five, 10, 20 years ago? When boosters slipped a C-note into a players’ locker room shoes after a good game. Or boosters got a player a job they never had to show up for during the offseason.

Or bought the star athlete a new car, paid for out of dear old grandma’s checking account. Wink, wink.

Of course, I kid. But not entirely. Forget the relative simplicity of the ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s. That era is nothing compared to the business of college sports today; the sense of entitlement, the apparent greed, and stupidity – from both sides of the aisle in the 21st century.

Truth? Schools still make a (big) buck off kids’ backs today… well beyond the inflated scholarship costs to attend college. The collegiate commissioners and college presidents know this. Television and exposure are as valuable as ever. Their jobs are to work for their schools – not necessarily for their students.

How else can the warped logic of sending the UCLA women’s tennis team across the country to Rutgers for a Big Ten match be justified? Just sayin’.

The difference between then and now? Athletes are getting more in return for their time and talent. Some recognize that and will be grateful. Some will always have their hands out.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

∎X post of the Week, from @BOSthrowback: “Boston semifinals wins since 2001: 2001, 2003, 2004 Pats; 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018 Red Sox; 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 Pats; 2008, 2010, 2022, 2024 Celtics; 2011, 2013, 2019 Bruins.”

∎Think about this: The Boston Celtics are a combined 76-20 thus far in the regular and postseason. That’s impressive, sure. But they’ll need to reach 80 wins to be memorable.

∎Johnston Joe Mazzulla is the youngest head coach to reach an NBA Finals since Bill Russell did it, leading the Celtics to the championship in 1969. That completed a remarkable, perhaps unmatchable run of 11 titles in 13 years for the Celtics that began in 1957.

∎Jaylen Brown’s MVP performance more than made up for Kristaps Porzingis’ absence in the sweep of the Pacers, even though they don’t play the same position. Did it justify his $300+ million salary?

For my money, which ain’t $300 mil, Al Horford’s timely presence was a driving factor in the 4-0 sweep instead of a possible 2-1 or 3-1 series deficit. The C’s will likely need a return of Porzingis’ presence to stake their claim to Banner 18.

∎The sports world – shoot, the entire planet – lost a good one in Bill Walton this week at age 71, after battling cancer. Friar fans from the first Final Four era still lament the fact Marvin Barnes was injured against Memphis State in the ’73 national semis… cancelling out what could have/should have/would have been a classic big man battle for a natty.

Perspective, please. When PC played at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion earlier that season in a scheduling coup for Dave Gavitt, Ernie DiGregorio was ill, Barnes fouled out and Walton’s Bruins romped 101-77.

That was consecutive win No. 59 for UCLA on the way to a record 88 straight victories before finally losing to Digger Phelps and Notre Dame the next year.

During my time at ESPN Radio, Walton would always greet me with “hey, Marvin Barnes!” And proceed to explain how his Bruins would have run all over the Friars had they met again… even while we were on the air talking about a completely different subject. He always made me laugh.

But Walton was a big fan, as we all were, of Ernie D. Maybe the Friars would have loved to have another shot at Big Bill back then. But Walton also went 21-for-22 from the floor and scored 44 points in the natty win against Memphis State, so…

∎UConn’s Alex Karaban, all-Big East big man Eric Dixon from Villanova and Butler forward Jahmyl Telfort are all returning to campus after flirting with pro possibilities. For Dixon, it’s a sixth year on the Main Line, counting a redshirt. It will likely become more difficult to leave, every year, from this point forward thanks to NIL and impending revenue sharing.

∎Updating the way-too-early Big East derby: 1) UConn 2) Creighton 3) Marquette 4) Providence 5) Xavier 6) St. John’s 7) Butler 8) Villanova 9) Seton Hall 10) Georgetown 11) DePaul.

∎Bryant baseball is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years – playing in Raleigh, NC this weekend – as America East champs. The Bulldogs started the season 1-7 but finished out 35-12 and hit 81 home runs.

∎Salve Regina has reached the NCAA Division III World Series for the first time, playing this weekend in Eastlake, Ohio against Birmingham Southern – a school that closed its’ doors this week, going out of business as the academic year came to an end.

∎Reminiscent of 1999 when PC was one win away from Omaha and the Division I College World Series after the baseball program had been dropped, amiright?

∎Not for nuthin’, but has there ever been a more universal ‘thank goodness’ moment in pro sports than umpire Angel Hernandez’ sudden and instant retirement from baseball this week?

Hernandez had been behind the plate in the bigs for 34 seasons, but he worked just 10 games a season ago because of a back injury…and still missed 161 calls according to Umpire Auditor. He had sued MLB, unsuccessfully, in 2017 for alleged racial discrimination in being passed over for postseason assignments.

∎Mary Ann from East Greenwich emailed this week: “I am writing to you about your use of the word SEZ for SAYS. I cannot fathom that this passed the scrutiny of your editors and spell check on the computer. It is not proper English…you can do better! Please no more TikTok spelling.”

Mary Ann, thanks for your note. S-A-Y-S is spelled “S-E-Z” on TikTok? I can do better. I should sue for copyright infringement. Know a good lawyer?

Interested in having your questions on Rhode Island sports (and yes, that includes the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics) answered in a somewhat timely fashion? Think out loud and send your questions, comments, and local stories to jrbroadcaster@gmail.com. We’ll share mailbag comments/Facebook posts/threads right here! Join me on Twitter/X, @JRbroadcaster…on Facebook, www.facebook.com/john.rooke, and on Instagram and Threads @JRbroadcaster.

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