“State of College Athletics”

 

This past year has been especially bad in regards to scandal involving collegiate athletics. What is the next move for NCAA President Mark Emmert (pictured above)?

Grant Freking is a Lantern (OSU Newspaper) sports writer. Ology magazine managing editor. OSU football featured columnist for Bleacher Report. High school football reporter for Newark Advocate.  You can follow him on Twitter @GrantFreking.

 “The NCAA’s core purpose is to govern competition in a fair, safe, equitable and sportsmanlike manner, and to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.”

That is directly from the NCAA website.

It’s hard to believe in those words these days.

Reggie Bush.

Cam Newton.

The “Tat Five.”

Lane Kiffin.

Bruce Pearl.

Jim Calhoun.

Jim Tressel.

All of those people were recently involved in major scandals in college athletics. Don’t forget about oversigning either. College athletics is in worse shape than LeBron James’ reputation in Cleveland.

What’s worse is some university presidents and athletic directors will stand by these men at all costs.

When Ohio State University president E. Gordon Gee was asked if he ever considered firing Tressel, his response was incredulous, laughable and unsurprising all at the same time.

“No, are you kidding? I was hoping the coach doesn’t dismiss me,” Gee said.

University of Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton somehow still has a job despite hiring both Lane Kiffin and Bruce Pearl.

Pearl lied to the NCAA. The NCAA slapped Kiffin with a “failure to monitor” charge in addition to other accusations.

Enough is enough. NCAA president Mark Emmert has no choice but to step into the ring. Will he come out throwing haymakers? Or will he cower in the corner?

Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.

-TheSportsKraze