MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Mark Emmert speaks to the media ahead of the Men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 04, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)Mark Emmert and the NCAA has trouble getting out of their own way. The latest discussions within the NCAA could be another step backwards in an already stagnant system.
The NCAA’s policing of student athletes has simply gone too far in recent years. A widely debated topic within collegiate sports revolves around granting immediate eligibility for transfer players.
Emmert has started to give in to media and fan pressure over the recent months. The organization is prepared to vote on the one-time exception for transfer players this April after years of slow-developing discussions.
But due to global health concerns, “discussions” are being had to vote all the way back to June. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein has the latest on the developing situation:
Source: The NCAA is discussing moving the vote for immediate eligibility for transfers from April to June.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 27, 2020
The irony of the situation is if the NCAA is able to discuss pushing the vote back, there’s clearly enough proper communication to vote on the policy, no matter the informality of the communication.
But as we’ve grown accustomed to, Emmert continues to fail in his role as the president of the NCAA. Student athletes have the least to benefit from Emmert’s decisions over the years – which have only empowered the NCAA itself, rather than the athletes which produce the product.
Let’s hope the NCAA stands for the student athletes in its upcoming one-time transfer exception vote – whenever that vote may be.
