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Originally Posted by lord_mike |
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It's not a bluff. If some court orders players to be actually paid, the NCAA will simply end college athletics as we know it (TV, big stadium deals, etc.). The NCAA are already uncomfortable at how big college sports has become and have tried to stop it's growth but were stopped by the courts. Paying players is a red line that the NCAA will absolutely go nuclear on. They will not negotiate that point. They are dead serious about it. They will be sad about losing the TV money and all, but big time athletics cost a lot of money, too, so it would be a wash.
Now as to Northwestern's threats, I believe them, too, but that's just old fashioned union busting. Northwestern football is a "mid major" program--generally awful, but sometimes decent. They don't lose much. Most of their players are actual students first. I think that busting the union for the sole purpose of busting the union would be really wrong, since the players do deserve a bigger voice and protections. As long as they aren't asking for a big payday, such as help with medical expenses, I don't see how they are in the wrong. If they do start asking for big money, then the college really would have no choice but to cancel football. Colleges cannot start paying athletes--it's a line that they cannot and will not cross. They aren't going to budge about that.
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Absolutely ludicrous if you think an institution would not enjoy getting paid more and more each year. I think they're fearful of a full on investigation into the actual amounts these universities are accumulating aside from ticket sales, merchandising, and standard university licensing deals.