As Kris Jenkins drained the game winning three-pointer to give Villanova its first NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship since 1985, the majority of the country was mesmerized by the moment and the image of the ball sailing through the net.

However, the big wigs of the NCAA were mesmerized by an entirely different image, the new balance in their bank account.

As we celebrate the amazing moments student athletes continuously deliver, let’s not forget one thing. The NCAA makes a ton of money by exploiting their athletes and that is simply unfair and wrong.

According to an audited financial statement obtained by USA Today, the NCAA made nearly $1 billion last year. The players that are ultimately responsible for generating this money see none of the cash flow. In the eyes of the NCAA, it just would not seem right rewarding or dare I say paying people responsible for making the organization wealthy and successful. I mean why do the right thing and share when you can do the wrong thing and keep all the money for yourself?

Many people may believe that the college athletes they see on television during spectacles like March Madness have professional sports and millions of dollars waiting for them once they graduate. However, only a small fraction of players get drafted and an even fewer have successful and long careers. For the majority of college athletes, the time playing for their university is the only window they have to benefit from their athletic talent. The sacrifices and countless hours spent alone practicing is all they are left with, except the knowledge that they have made the NCAA even richer.

Recently, the NCAA continued its quest to dominate the market. The organization forced the two leading companies of the daily fantasy sports industry, Draftkings and FanDuel, to discontinue providing fantasy basketball and football for Division I athletics. In case you didn’t notice, the NCAA believes it is fine to make a lot of money as long as they are the ones making it.

In a recent statement, Mark Emmert, the president of the NCAA, proved this by shutting down the operations of these daily fantasy sites.

“We appreciate and commend Draftkings and FanDuel’s actions to stop offering contests involving college, high school and youth sports,” Emmert said.

Last time I checked neither of these multi-million dollar sites offer high school and youth sports, but if anyone finds they do, tell me where to sign up. All joking aside, it is comical that the NCAA has the power to not only hold their student athlete’s captive, but also tell other companies how to run their business.

Walter Waddell, a die-hard Washington Huskies fan, has been a college basketball junkie his entire life. He has seen the NCAA rise to power. To him it is a travesty that the organization is able to profit off of children. 

“The NCAA is broken and will remain that way until compensation for the student athletes becomes a reality,” Waddell said.

As it stands now, the NCAA is nothing more than a group of money hogs that are feeding the public a lie about preserving the innocence of college sports. The only thing they are really concerned with is preserving the cash flowing into their pockets.

As the old saying goes if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Well, the NCAA is broken so let’s fix it. It is time to play fair, change the rules and share the wealth.

Andrew Davies
Staff Writer
Published April 13th, 2016