Ignore the NCAA? It's More Possible Than You Think

I’ve devoted a significant amount of my posts on this blog criticizing the NCAA. Admittedly, the organization is an easy target, and its hypocritical policies strike a sensitive chord for me as it does anyone else who loves college sports more than they probably should.

But after this most recent revelation in the ongoing case against Miami and NCAA President Mark Emmert’s “pass the buck” attitude, I’m beginning to wonder what would happen if member schools finally said enough and started ignoring the NCAA.

Seriously. Think about it for a sec ........................ What would happen if Miami President Donna Shalala called up Emmert’s office in Indy and said, “Screw you guys,” and removed themselves from the NCAA completely? What would happen if they convinced the Florida schools or ACC schools to join them? Or if Penn State, USC, UCLA, and Ohio State all joined in after they went through their own garbage investigations? With mega-conferences an inevitability, is it really that far fetched?

Schools are NCAA members by choice. I don’t understand the legality of the agreement between the two entities (and I don’t pretend to), but I do understand no one is forcing any of these member institutions to go along with NCAA by-laws. The organization exists because universities allow it to exist, which makes all this uproar about the Miami case all the more ironic.

P.S. In the mood for more frustrating, hypocritical irony? Check out this little gem on the NCAA attacking academic freedom.

The NCAA has Become a Joke, Which Makes Them Even More Dangerous

To this day, Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Caesar in Gladiator is my favorite villian. He’s got everything in that role; equal parts powerful and bat-shit crazy. At any moment, he could either embrace you or rip off your ears, and both would be completely believable.

The NCAA is the non-murderous version of this. (unless you’re a Penn State or SMU fan, then they are definitely murderous.) While claiming to be the savior of the purity of college sports, President Mark Emmert could easily jump between statements like (concerning the Miami investigation) “I am deeply disappointed and frustrated, even angry about these circumstances,” and “AM I NOT MERCIFUL?!?!?!” It wouldn’t be that far of a stretch.

Emmert and Co. have been taking it on the chin for a while, and they’ve responded by puffing their chest and coming down even harder to prove they’re in charge (i.e. Penn State and USC). This is a frightening position for Miami, considering all the backlash might propel the NCAA to fight even harder and punish stronger to assure its control (like a dictator squashing a rebellion). Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald said on The Herd;

“You don’t know whether to laugh at them or fear them,”... “These people have to justify their existence. They have to justify the time, money, and resources spent on the investigation over a couple of years, and it’s always scary when you’re looking for fairness from people who have to do this.”

But even with all this uncertainty hanging over them, you gotta love Miami’s “F--- you” message while blowing out Duke, the NCAA’s golden calf. Classic Hurricanes.