Let's talk about college basketball.
No, this is not a sports column. This is a business column. Because that's the current state of college basketball (and football).
Even before the NCAA men's basketball champion was crowned on Monday, college players were entering the transfer portal in search of better financial options and more playing time.
The days of the innocent and naive college athlete are long gone. Money is everything now, especially when it comes to premier players.
No, colleges aren't actually paying these people to play, but with the NCAA's blessing, they're allowing lucrative endorsement deals through alumni and other means. No matter how you look at it, the top tier of college basketball players are professional athletes.
Take North Carolina State's DJ Barnes Jr., the darling of this tournament. CBS-TV announcers talked about financial deals being made by the Wolfpack's big men during Sunday's quarterfinal game. College basketball is now a business.
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Of course, not every player can earn an endorsement contract. The submariner, a sparring partner of the star athlete, receives only an athletic scholarship, presumably to help him obtain an education.
education. Have you ever heard that term mentioned on SportsCenter or a TV talk show? Once upon a time, the ultimate goal of a college athlete was to obtain an education.
Remember the football player who sued his alma mater because he graduated even though he couldn't read? You wonder how much education, if any, some of today's players have received.
When these players enter the “transfer portal” and look for new schools, are any of them looking for colleges with better educational possibilities? If so, no one mentions it. All we hear is that they want a better contract or more playing time.
This “transfer portal” business is doing for college sports what the free agency system did for Major League Baseball. College coaches, like baseball executives, can no longer build and maintain teams.
They recruit a kid, he plays for a year or two, grows up, and then moves on to another school that needs an experienced player. Just like with a major league team, all the money and effort spent developing that kid's talent is wasted. Next season, he'll be on a different team and trying to beat the coach who gave him the chance in the first place. No more loyalty.
The “transfer portal” system is especially tough on coaches like Tony Bennett of the University of Virginia, who prefer to build teams from the ground up. Now he and other traditional coaches are facing the prospect of good players leaving and having to raid other programs to stay competitive.
The next question is when will this “transfer portal'' and free agent system apply to the high school level? Maybe it's already happening. We know that some schools recruit students to play in order to raise their profile in front of college recruiters.
Why shouldn't high school students be compensated for playing? After all, they draw large crowds to gymnasiums and stadiums, and schools benefit financially.
It's all about money. Transfer to another school for more money and playing time. The more playing time you get, the more you can showcase your talent and the more valuable it becomes. The keyword here is money.
College sports are a business. Schools receive large sums of money for television appearances (bowl games, playoff games) and players are allowed to endorse products for profit.
Win this with the Gipper? If you win this, you can aim for big money again.
Want to try old university? Try to find a school that offers more economical conditions.
Amateur track and field is over. Now, on almost every level, it's all about money.
High school sports may be next.
Donnie Johnston's column appears twice a week on our opinion pages. Please contact djohn40330@aol.com.
Some employees at fast food restaurants can't give change without a calculator, and some mail workers can't read cursive. However, we claim that our country is one of the most educated countries in the world.