This new NCAA idea of penalizing schools for not graduating players is a bad idea. Bad.
Let’s think it through, shall we? The NCAA inherently distrusts it’s participating schools, right? I think the one trillion page rulebook kinda makes that clear. OK, so we know that the schools aren’t to be trusted.
And now what we’re gonna do is severely penalize them if they report graduation numbers that aren’t sufficient. Losing scholarships naturally implies losing more games. Losing more games means losing out on bowl and NCAA tournament money. Losing games also means fewer tickets and merchandise sold. Ergo, losing scholarships means losing money – lots of money.
On top of that athletic directors and coaches who preside over programs that lose games, fans and money very swiftly lose their jobs and reputations.
All very bad penalties, right? There would be lots of pressure to avoid those penalties, I’m sure.
Now, what could schools do to avoid those sanctions? Graduate more players, right? And how hard is it for a school to keep players eligible, whether said players go to class or not? Very easy. It’s as simple as changing some letters in a computer.
So on one hand, you have severe penalties that cost games, fans, money, jobs and careers. And on the other hand, you have a very simple changing of grades by institutions that the NCAA already doesn’t trust.
What could go wrong?