Carolina's Orwellian language defending a decades long fraud makes UNC look even worse. The NCAA should have taken away the championships earned with ineligible players.
19
Mr. Powell, as a UNC alum, let me say that the academic fraud scandal deeply embitters me still, not least because I took an excellent (and real!) class in the African American Studies department just before the beginning of the era of the "paper courses." This sneaker scandal seems petty, yes, especially given the sanctimonious pap the university has always churned out about the Carolina way, etc. There's a reason why a lot of people really wanted UNC to feel the burn for the the fraud, and wriggling out of any real consequences through legalistic maneuvering -- ouch. Not the least of the lingering sour taste is that the moral high ground has been ceded, and athletics officials (even the NCAA's) now look ridiculous when they take on relatively minor issues like the players selling the shoes. And yet, even so, it makes perfect sense that players can't use promotional swag as a means to profit, even on a low level. It's an invitation to corruption, albeit one that is probably standard in Division I schools. Still, your column loses steam in saying this story is giggle worthy. Mocking UNC for punishing the players, even given Bubba C's ginormous salary, is also going for the low hanging fruit. College sports are rife with fraud, as you noted -- this story isn't just about double standards at UNC, even given the schadenfreude it engenders. It's the broken system itself that stinks.
19
North Carolina, the state of Jesse Helms, John Edwards, Mark Meadows, and many members of the so called Freedom Caucus, must be in the running for the most corrupt and mean spirited state in the Union! Add to that the so called flagship University of North Carolina, with Mr. Personality, Roy Williams running their Basketball program, and that leader France from NASCAR, who was pulled over in Sag Harbor for being drunk among other accusations, it's amazing anyone would want to live there?! And I'm told that their leading supermarket chain, Harris Teeter gives Whole Foods a run for your money in being way overpriced! Might as well move the current occupant of the White House there!!!
6
Coach sure doesn't want to put in jeapody his huge compensation package with the shoe companies. Can't allow his indengert servants, er players, put that at risk. Hypocrisy is lovely
8
Participating colleges run a sports cartel, similar to baseball pre-Curt Flood/Marvin Miller. Athletes are indentured servants not expected to, and often incapable of performing college-level critical thinking. This suits the NFL and NBA just fine as they get a minor league system for free.
17
In college sports the athletic departments and the institutions themselves make fabulous amounts of money off the players. The only ones that are not allowed to make faboulous amounts of money are the players themselves because .... that would be fair?
College sports: what a “peculiar institution”.
Thank you for mentioning Mary Willingham — I cannot imagine her courage and what she had to endure.
10
Any interest in or respect I had for this university was lost following the academic scandal. University administration should be ashamed of themselves but I'd wager they're probably proud they didn't lose any championships. The spineless NCAA should be ashamed of themselves as well. And the possibility that anyone would pay up to $2,500 for a pair of "commemorative sneakers" is beyond my comprehension.
5
The athletes get punished and the universities from college presidents to coaches cheat and lie and nothing happens. Some say let the athletes sell their stuff and/or pay them beyond the current scholarship deal. Sounds good in theory but the cheaters will simply add more $$$ to what ever is offered. The NCAA makes its money from March Madness and as the saying goes- Follow the Money. The NCAA believes that if any of the well known programs are penalized then the value of March Madness will be diminished. Of course, this is nonsense. We watch for the upsets and we see plenty of big time programs even if one was excluded. Take just one example of a big time program-The Ohio State University- in recent memory two basketball coaches, one football coach, and even the band leader and the university president were fired for improper behavior. That doesn’t even include the current problems with the football program, the wrestling program and the swimming program. Makes one wonder when schools became sports factories rather than institutions of higher learning. There are simple solutions but they will never be implemented.. Remove the excuse that the head coach knows nothing and thus survives the scandal. Put in every contract that any proven scandal is on the head coach. He gets fired. These guys have multi-million contracts. Watch how quickly they clean up their act. Won’t cure everything but it is a strong step in the right direction.
As a former agent I know the ugly underbelly.
9
Why bother to even write about these scandals? The NCAA is up to it's neck in collusion. Money is the goal. The means to get it, and the ruining of young peoples lives is not important. MONEY, MONEY
4
Drop the nonsense of the "student athlete"; football and basketball programs fund most of the other athletic programs at schools that appear regularly on ESPN.
And drop the nonsense of "academic fraud", this is racism plain and simple. These no show classes were part of the Afro American Studies Dept. Were they open to golfers, swimmers, and tennis players on scholarship? Probably. Were they attended by the white athletes? Probably not. Why? Because the athletes in these low profile sports already learned to read and write before they graduated HS.
This is not going to fix itself. As high schools continue to drop football because parents have turned against youth football, the competition for elite players will only get fiercer and there will be no need for programs like Pahokee in Florida to make sure that the 5 star football player going to State U can even read the exit sign on the highway that gets you there.
5
If we only spend this kind of effort and money to improve the “education” part of higher education rather than erect these professional sports leagues on the backs of unpaid athletes. Shameful.
4
I saw the UNC case as an opportunity for fundamental reform of big time college sports. Instead, UNC got a pass. But so what. Louisville, another major player, gets nailed for strippers along with its “shocked” piano player coach Rick Pitino...yet the band plays on.
The fact is folks like March Madness and the Bowl Championship Series too much to let actual education get in the way. The NCAA could show the NFL a thing or two about keeping a creaky machine going.
8
Isn’t coach Fedora the same man who recently questioned the relationship between football and CTE? Can’t let a few brain injured players get in the way of a big payday! College sports and the NCAA are jokes which benefit no one but the coaches and administrators, because the athletes who do the work are expendable and are treated as such. UNC should have gotten the death penalty from the NCAA for the fake class scandal, but instead walked away more arrogant and powerful than ever. The rich get richer and the rest walk away with nothing.
12
No matter the circumstances, in shame or glory, defeat or victory, today is a GDTBATH. Remain loyal to your institutions that you believe in, and encourage those representing your institution, including yourself, to be better. Heels, always.
3
I must admit that if I was given a pair of sneakers that I could sell for $2,500. I would do it in a minute.
Also, for the most part, the players are really not serious students
looking for a college education. They are very good athletes looking to showcase their skills to pro teams.
The colleges get the free talent and TV money.
24
As a Duke graduate and a resident of NC this scandal is no surprise. College sports needs an investigation by a selext committee of the Congress.
5
I write as a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill to express my thanks to Michael Powell for continuing to cover this story. College athletics has become a corrupt, bottomless financial black hole for universities, with winning as the only thing that matters. Education in the 21st Century should focus on academic excellence and school-wide fitness for all students. The coaches make millions; the players get punished for selling sneakers. What a disgrace. When universities have such priorities, what are they teaching their students about what is truly important?
32
What in the world is the standard when UNC is considered to be an "elite" university.
15
The article “Shoe Deals and Double Standards at North Carolina.” This article interested me because it was about deals and seeking standards. My parents are all about the deals on new shoes, clothes, and groceries. They want to save money, which is an expectation. Even though all of the kids on North Carolina’s football team are on scholarship the coaches, staff, and school but the players gear, shoes, and more. So when it comes to money on their part they want to save. They got all kinds of deals from Nike and double standards too.
[email protected]
1
The NCAA has covered up this scandal. This is merely a manifestation of the corruption that is condoned if not encouraged by the NCAA's administration. Until someone is sent to jail, these types of abuses will continue throughout collegiate football and basketball. That said, UNC is particularly corrupt!
7
The chancellor makes less money than the athletic director does???? And I'm sure that no one including alums want that to change. And until the "value system" changes, expect similar "incidents' to occur, along with the appropriate "extremely disappointed when we fall short" comments.
15
The real issue is the division and distribution of the multi-billions of gross revenues taken in by leagues and the schools in Division 1 football and men's basketball. (All other sports almost always lose money). If the "profits" from these teams are largely given back to subsidize non-revenue sports and academic endeavors, then I think they deserve priority over the ability of student athletes to make extra money. On the other hand, if the bulk of the profits is poured back into the revenue producing sports only in some way or other, then I think that the argument for student athletes to make money is much stronger.
4
There is a strength and conditioning coach with an impeccable resume available from Maryland who can get the players in-line. (Read with tongue firmly in cheek).
8
“Without a penny of compensation”? Free college tuition and living expenses at an elite college? I call they quite a bit of compensation.
8
@Sharon Fox In the case of UNC, the athletes do not get an education. Read up on their academic scandal. The students didn't have to attend class, didn't have to do any work, didn't have to do anything and they could make Dean's List. It was a total and complete scam.
10
How about the business deals with the shoe companies having a stipulation that a certain percent of the contract go to real academic programs of the university.
7
How about the business deals with the shoe companies having a stipulation that a certain percent of the contract go to real academic programs of the university.
2
Personally, knowing what we do about the damage that football does to the human bodies, we shouldn't promote this sport in our institutions of higher learning anyway. Think of those millions the coaches are paid being put to increasing facilities and curricula.
As to the players? Good for them. What are they gonna use commemorative sneakers that are worth $2,500 for anyway? Many of them are on scholarship, and probably could use the money.
9
A great reporting.
But I disagree with the contention that these athletes "sacrifice body and brain" without a penny of "compensation."
Let's admit these college football programs are like the "boot camp" for soldiers to be so they can be our "finest" and go on to have a great career in the armed forces.
These young athletes are training and sacrificing while building their body thanks to university supplied "chow" and medical care and support staff - just so they can have a lucrative career in NFL or even CFL - as in case of Johnny Football now.
Come to think of it - these college athletes show little appreciation to university - say, by donating funds from their later lucrative career to re set these "education" policies - if they really cared.
I would rather have Kapernack demonstrate against these "Afro studies" than any perceived real or fictional injustices.
College athletes are lucky that universities offer them a playing field to build up for their careers - just like Caltech helped me be a good, well compensated engineer. And while I had scholarship at Caltech - I got no sneakers or even a slide rule - it was sometime ago.
So, while some blame may lie with university - these young men know what it really means to play college football.
9
Tragically I think it will later that many of these young athletes will experience what it means to play college football.
10
@Neil Bringing Kaepernick into this and trying to discount the REAL injustices he is fighting belies the real intent and focus of your comment- I can read between the lines.
3
I'm not a fan of the NCAA football monopoly, but I'm also not pleased to see Michael Powell write that these players are "not compensated a penny" for their "work." Please. As the father of two girls who will be attending college at some point, I would be thrilled to see them get free tuition, room, board, and apparently apparel at UNC--that's worth $60 to $75K per year! If players don't recognize the value of their admission to a fine school like UNC, then abolish scholarships, set up semi-pro leagues, and let them get paid. But please don't diminish the gift that is a full-ride scholarship to a top-tier academic institution, Mr. Powell.
19
Not to mention that few, if any, of them would have been admitted to this school in the first place but for being recruited athletes. You could cure most of the problems with college sports if you banned all recruiting and admission preferences and let actual students try out for the team, as in high school (although that's changing, I suspect) and maybe Division III. No academic fraud because they would be actual qualified students, and it would return the sport to the students, as opposed to gladiatorial ringers brought in to entertain fat cat alums.
11
@Bryan
I thought education was supposed to be the goal of the scholarship, with sports as the route.
Except it is no longer a "fine school". Corruption denies that label. Has some individually fine faculty and staff despite that. I know! The State House can fix things!
Oh....
3
I have to wonder about a system that penalizes young people for selling shoes given to them by a commercial sponsor. Why does the NCAA even care if these kids sell their comp'ed shoes? If there was any concern really, about fiscal corruption in college athletics, then:
1) coaches would be paid as regular physical education faculty;
2) no "side deals" between coaching staff and athletic apparel/gear manufacturers would be permitted;
3) companies wanting to sponsor a university athletic team could do so by making a contribution to the university's GENERAL fund for the university to use for all students' benefit.
I could go on, but the point is this: to punish these players, when every other part of this system is rife with huge money deals and greased with side deals and special treatments and exceptions, etc. is LUDICROUS. If the shoes were GIVEN to the players, then the players should be allowed to do with them whatever they wish.
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@EG There is actually a reason for this prohibition that might not be obvious on its face. Athletes are prohibited from taking money from boosters (this is almost always found when a corrupt program is investigated.) If you let them “sell” shoes and other bennies, you are setting up an easy work around for the compensation rule, in that these players would “sell” shoes, jerseys, etc. to a booster for a wildly inflated price — note that here, the article states that some players apparently sold these shoes for extremely high prices. Hence the ban.
5
No one should belittle the value of a scholarship to a major school. The players should get more, but just getting accepted and tuition-room and board is pretty good. I've know friends' kids who loved the opportunity and lack of loans. On the other hand the amount of money and WASTE in this is appalling. These are first SCHOOLS and every program should focus on cost-neutrality - not buying jumbotrons and ridiculous stadiums and practice fields like pro sports. Extra money should go to academics and tuition and fees should NEVER fund sports.
18
@Denver7756 Getting a scholarship to a major school funding tuition, room, and board is a great thing. Now, suppose you were earning it by having to work a full-time job which effectively a football or basketball scholarship is. How much time does it leave for studies? I had to work my way through college working full time. It is not an easy task. When you have divided loyalties, class or work, you choose work because it pays for food as well as classes. The scholarships these student athletes aren't for academic achievement alone. In fact, they aren't for academic achievement at all. Perhaps the students who had academic scholarships should be enforced to meet a minimal athletic ability to maintain their scholarships. Full disclosure, I had my tuition and books paid for by scholarship but that isn't enough when you have to eat, and have shelter too. I thank god, I didn't have to meet any minimal athletic criteria. I would have failed. Our institutions need to be clear what their relationship with student athletes is. Right now, they want to have their cake and eat it too.
32
I am still confused why a quarter of a million dollar education (if you include a red shirt year) is not considered "pay" to the athletes? Ask the student who pays for their own schooling the same question.
17
@TKW Only if that expensive "education" was actually an education. Wouldn't we need to know whether those athletes actually took real courses in a real major, and then graduated? I'm sure that some did and I'm sure that many did not.
I'd like to know how many athletes in majors-of-convenience ended up working in those fields after graduation.
I was a professor at a D3 state school, and even I -- meaning even at the D3 level -- occasionally got that good old informal call from a coach about an athlete not doing well in one of my classes. Could anything be done to improve the grade? I only ever suggested more study.
Someplace, probably buried in an NCAA report, are graduation figures for athletes in high visibility sports such as football and basketball.
8
@TKW But that scholarship is effectively compensating them for being a full time athlete. Not a student.
4
@TKW because few athletes are getting an education. Training and practice requires so much time. Many come to college unprepared. Many do not gaduate, and if they do, it may be by virtue of the “paper classes” described.
5
Your criticism of UNC is fair. But the much larger picture shows that at the end of every semester professors at all major football and basketball school heed the pleas of athletes to raise their grades a notch or two to keep them academically eligible. Are they all not equally guilty! You failed to be fair. UNC was simply low hanging fruit. I dare say UNC is among the most vigilant ( sans the AFAM Scandal), and always has been, when it comes to awarding fair grades. I imagine a comparison of UNC athletes’ transcripts with athletes from other big-time sports schools would bear out my claim, and even embarrass many other schools.
7
Yea it is pretty stunning that such horrendous abuse occurred over a two decade time frame at such a university like UNC. However it really exposes a much more destructive abuse in my mind, and that is the proliferation of the money grab of big-time college sports. I am a fan for sure, but have grown increasingly irritated by these huge universities riding the talents of these student-athletes all the way to the bank, while offering up these joke "Full Rides" as incentive to come to their university. The NCAA is just as guilty in this ongoing charade as they reach their hands in for their piece of the pie as well. It is a shame that the business of college athletics has come to this. Judging by the recent, and tragic events at the University of Maryland, it appears that there is no end in sight to the pressure to win so that the cash flow can be maintained at these Elite Academic Institutions. At some point there has to be a correction brought to this if the reality of true student-athletics is to be saved from the money machine that now exists in our culture.
35
Amen to this letter. The NCAA and North Carolina, especially the NCAA, should get a hard look from judicial authorities.
11
Coach Fedora should be fired on the spot for his inane comments. "my responsibility is to help them grow into men". What does this even mean?
These players who sold the shoes to make a few bucks, have probably dealt with more hardship than Coach Fedora can imagine. Coach Fedora makes how much coaching the team and the kids make how much for playing? And he is criticizing the players for want a few bucks?
62