His column on ESPN is getting a lot of play on Twitter by the "defend the player at all cost" sports media. Bilas actually believes college athletes in all sports, should be able to transfer immediately, to any school, with no restrictions, and not having to sit out a year. Can you immagine what that would do to college sports? How is it that this guy has become such a "respected" voice in college sports?
From Bilas column on ESPN.....
Investment in players
Many consider that a school "invests" and develops players and deserves to benefit from that investment by retaining that developed asset. To those sharing that view, transfer restrictions serve as a deterrent to a transfer by working as a penalty. In my judgment, and based upon NCAA rhetoric, schools do not "invest" in players and are therefore not entitled to restrict them as employees or assets. Schools claim that these are not employees, but students. As such, these schools are investing not in their students, but they are investing in education. A claim that a school has an investment in any non-athlete student and should therefore be allowed to restrict the movement of that non-athlete student would draw laughter as being absurd. Can you imagine a school trying to restrict the transfer of a scholarship music student or scholarship mathematician due to the investment the school has made in that student? It is similarly absurd to do the same to an unpaid, amateur student who just happens to be an athlete.
Pittsburgh is right on one issue: The NCAA needs to overhaul its transfer rules and make them coherent and fair to the athlete. There is no legitimate reason for a school that a player is departing to have any say whatsoever in where a player goes after he or she leaves. It is simply wrong.
Here is what needs to happen: The NCAA should pass rules that allow transfers to be immediately eligible to compete at another institution at the conclusion of that season's competition. As long as there is no "in-season" transfer, all else should be fair game. Players transfer for myriad legitimate reasons, and as long as they are legal, none of those reasons are the NCAA's business. They are either students or employees. If they are indeed students, players should not be restricted in any way.
From Bilas column on ESPN.....
Investment in players
Many consider that a school "invests" and develops players and deserves to benefit from that investment by retaining that developed asset. To those sharing that view, transfer restrictions serve as a deterrent to a transfer by working as a penalty. In my judgment, and based upon NCAA rhetoric, schools do not "invest" in players and are therefore not entitled to restrict them as employees or assets. Schools claim that these are not employees, but students. As such, these schools are investing not in their students, but they are investing in education. A claim that a school has an investment in any non-athlete student and should therefore be allowed to restrict the movement of that non-athlete student would draw laughter as being absurd. Can you imagine a school trying to restrict the transfer of a scholarship music student or scholarship mathematician due to the investment the school has made in that student? It is similarly absurd to do the same to an unpaid, amateur student who just happens to be an athlete.
Pittsburgh is right on one issue: The NCAA needs to overhaul its transfer rules and make them coherent and fair to the athlete. There is no legitimate reason for a school that a player is departing to have any say whatsoever in where a player goes after he or she leaves. It is simply wrong.
Here is what needs to happen: The NCAA should pass rules that allow transfers to be immediately eligible to compete at another institution at the conclusion of that season's competition. As long as there is no "in-season" transfer, all else should be fair game. Players transfer for myriad legitimate reasons, and as long as they are legal, none of those reasons are the NCAA's business. They are either students or employees. If they are indeed students, players should not be restricted in any way.
