The current system

Maybe the most popular NCAA violation for those of us that have watched college football is the Reggie Bush scandal.  Reggie Bush was a dynamic athlete who rose to prominence at USC, winning the Heisman trophy during his tenure.  Reggie had to return his Heisman trophy in 2010, after it was found that he and his family accepted up to 300,000 dollars in gifts from a few agents.  The rule is that a college athlete cant receive anything for free, or else they lose eligibility.  I come from a family that has not had to struggle like some of these less fortunate athletes,  and I can tell you right now that if my parents were offered a luxurious home and I was offered a Audi R8 Spyder, it would be PRETTY hard to turn it down.  So I can't blame a struggling college kid for taking what is given to them.  Reggie now makes millions a year playing the game he loves, and no one suspected anything during his college tenure.  The NCAA finally found proof half a decade later of the violations, and the school has to take the fall for it, as well as the athletes that were at USC during the time of probation.  Reggie was never punished.  He is still the Heisman trophy winner.  He still won a national championship.  He didn't have to give back any money.  The school has to take the fall, as well as the athletes, even though the violations happened when the current USC athletes were in middle school.
      There is no punishment for the agents who gave the money, and there never will be.  NCAA violations are not illegal by law.  They are just against the rules of the NCAA.  So what is to keep every agent and booster from offering money to a kid when there are no consequences for them, and there is money to be made off of a superstar athlete? If you don't offer them something, then another booster or agent will.  After all, these kids wont be amateurs forever.  When a representative of one school offers a penthouse suite on the beach in Miami to an athlete's parents, what is your schools reps going to do to even the playing field? They have to match the offer of course.  This goes on every year to get the best players to wear your school's colors on Saturdays. Either the system needs to be drastically overhauled, or the system needs to perish.

Some Rules and Stuff

What is against the rules?

Extra Benefits

Definition: Extra Benefit (Bylaw 16.02.3) – An extra benefit is any special arrangement

by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletic interests

(including fans) to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a

benefit not expressly authorized by the NCAA legislation. Extra benefit regulations

pertain to prospects as well.

According to Bylaw 16.01.1, receipt by a student-athlete of an award, benefit, or expense

allowance not authorized by NCAA legislation renders the student-athlete ineligible to

compete while representing the institution in the sport for which the improper award,

benefit, or expense was received. If the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not

authorized by NCAA legislation or an improper award or expense allowance in

conjunction with competition that involves the use of overall athletic skill (e.g.,

“superstar” competition), the individual is ineligible for all sports

Exception for Benefits Available to Other Students (Bylaw 16.01.3) – The receipt of a

benefit by a student-athlete or his or her friends that is not authorized by NCAA

legislation is not a violation if it is demonstrated that the same general benefit is available

to the institution’s students, their relatives, and friends determined on a basis unrelated to

athletics ability.

Some Guidelines:

• You may not provide a prospect of a current student-athlete with money, gifts,

loans, flowers, etc.

• You many not pay prospects of current student-athletes a fee for speaking

engagements, give them free or reduced costs for professional services, pay fees

for sports camps, or provide discount merchandise.

• You may not allow prospects of current student-athletes the use of an automobile,

provide them tickets to athletic or community events, or provide favorable

housing arrangements, reduced rent or lodging of any kind.

     The lines appear to be clear cut.  An athlete or an athlete's parents or friend can not get free stuff from anyone.  A full ride to the university is viewed to be enough for our college athletes.  But what about the students that aren't on a full ride but have to commit the majority of their day to practice, workouts, game prep, and media obligations? This probably leaves little time for a job outside of class.  

     Student athletes are considered amateur, and giving athletes free stuff is looked at as ridding them of their amateur status.  Even if an athlete is providing a service, they are not to be compensated for it.  But what if an athlete, instead of working a job, started their own business? Can an athlete not start a profitable lemonade stand and receive cash for their service? I am curious to review the past violations and analyze how the limits are being pushed further and further in order to get ahead in recruiting tomorrows athletes. 

http://www.iwu.edu/registrar/NCAA_Compliance_ExtraBenefits.pdf