If you’ve paid any attention to the NCAA or College Football the past few months, you’ve likely noticed that the transfer portal has dominated the headlines, even amongst bowl games and National Signing Day. In fact, there have already been 2,284 players who have entered the transfer portal, which comes out to just under 17.5 players per team, or about 15% of the active roster.
For many fans, coaches, and media personnel, this has made college football the Wild West and caused a lot of frustration, especially when combined with NIL and the lack of power that the NCAA actually has at enforcing the rules.
But apparently, it hasn’t caused many issues with Charlie Baker, the new President of the NCAA. In an interview with ESPN, he made the following comments that seem to go against what many feel:
“One of the things I hear from kids when I talk to them about this issue is, ‘Coaches walk out on their contracts. What about us?” Later when asked about having laws that would restrict player movement via transferring he added “I’m not much on that.”
Current Issues in Congress
Over the past year and longer, the NCAA has been pushing Congress to essentially give the NCAA some kind of power when it comes to transfers and regulation. This seems to go against Baker’s remarks, although it is possible that what Baker is pushing for is more lenient laws that allow players to transfer easily; however, still within a legal parameter that would prevent anything crazy from happening, such as transferring in the middle of the season or allowing only so many transfers in a four-year span.
But this isn’t the issue going before Congress. There are also bills and proposals that go far beyond transfer rules. Some of these include the following:
- Resolutions for all teams who won a National Championship in Football in 2023 (Florida State, Harding, North Carolina Central State University, and South Dakota State).
- 4 NIL-related bills that would limit collectives, international athletes, communication limits, and potentially salary caps on how players can be paid.
- Title-IX bills ensure that in the world of NIL, women and less-represented sports aren’t being treated unfairly.
It’s easy. Sign the players to contracts. Contracts can include buyouts and employment conditions. It works for the rest of the free world. “Pressures are mounting” because the NCAA violates federal antitrust law. Here’s a thought…stop doing that. https://t.co/J1zoEHRFGt
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) February 2, 2024
NCAA and College Football Have a Complicated Relationship
It is completely possible that Charlie Baker is making these comments not from his own opinion and view on how things should be run, but rather as a compromise to try to get on the same page as college football again. College Football has gotten so big and has so much money now that it could easily break away from the NCAA and become its own governing body.
The NCAA makes a lot of money off of college football, so saying things that make college football players and teams happy is definitely in Charlie Baker’s and the NCAA’s best interest. Otherwise, the NCAA will rely on a fraction of their budget and other sports could eventually follow.
Charlie Baker and the NCAA Under his Direction
Since Charlie Baker took over as NCAA President, his main focus has been on being innovative and looking out for student-athletes. In his first general address, he laid out a series of topics and goals to accomplish, including making sure that student-athletes have access to insurance following graduation, opening up mental health resources, exploring additional sports such as women’s flag football, and enhancing the NCAA Championship experiences.
The NCAA has had a terrible reputation amongst most fans for a while, making it tough on even Baker to get things turned around, but in his first year, he has said the right things and done all he can to try to repair the damage that was caused for years before when many viewed the NCAA as just in it for themselves.
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