10 commandments of the NCAA (proposed)

[UNTflyer]

1. If a player receives an illegal benefit of any kind (any monetary amount or value), his eligibility is forfeited. Forever. Want to eliminate players with their hands out? Take away their ability to prepare—physically, mentally, emotionally—for the NFL's big payday.

Remember, everyone, playing college football is a privilege—not a right—and high school athletes today care about one thing: getting to the NFL.

2. If a coach breaks an NCAA rule, he forfeits the privilege to coach at the NCAA level for five years. If (or when) he returns, his salary can't exceed the lowest salary in the bowl subdivision for three years. Another rules violation results in a permanent ban. Want to eliminate cheating? Take away a coach's ability to earn that multi-million dollar contract.

Same rules apply to assistant coaches, whose salaries can't exceed the lowest of FBS assistants for three years.

3. If a player is convicted of a felony charge, he permanently loses eligibility. He will be allowed two misdemeanors before eligibility is lost. You want charity? Academic eligibility requirements for players compared to typical students are laughable. Embrace the gift you've been given—less than five percent of college players go on to play in the NFL.

4. Players will receive full cost of attendance scholarships—the full cost to be determined by those wonderful minds in Indianapolis. The amount will be addressed every season to account for cost-of-living increases.

5. No third-party recruiting. Coaches can deal only with parents, legal guardians or the high school coach of high school players. Any coach caught dealing with a third party or "street agent" automatically forfeits the privilege to coach at the NCAA level for a period of five years. If (when) he returns, another rules violation results in a permanent ban. Any player using a third party for recruiting purposes is permanently ineligible.

6. There will be two signing day periods of 30 days. The first will begin on August 1 prior to a player's senior season, and the second on February 1 after his senior season.

Any player who doesn't sign within those two 30-day windows must wait until the following season to sign a letter of intent. No more look-at-me recruitments of Bryce Brown, Terrelle Pryor and Seantrel Henderson. Need your ego stroked? Wait until you get to the NFL and reach free agency.

7. Any player signing an FBS scholarship will have that scholarship for a full five years. No school can sign more than 25 players per recruiting class, and can sign no more than current scholarship numbers allow. This eliminates controversial roster management (see: running off players who don't work out), and puts more emphasis on recruiting players who fit.

For those who believe this will limit academically or socially marginal kids from the pool of recruits, I give you this theory: Maybe, just maybe, we should raise the bar instead of settling for the lowest common denominator. Teenagers, when pushed, can thrive.

8. If a coach is hired away by another school, underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) and graduate students of the school he left can transfer without penalty to another FBS school. Upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) must sit out a season.

9. No televised decisions by high school recruits. Like I care if you care, ESPN. You wonder why there's a sense of entitlement, a feeling of I can do no wrong? Look no further.

10. When all else fails, refer to Commandments 1 and 2.

Read more: http://aol.sportingn...n#ixzz1Um8isX7w

[TIgreen01]

Damn straight.

[greenminer]

I think the NFL would like a seat at this discussion.

[GreenBat]

I think the NFL would like a seat at this discussion.

Of course they would. It hurts the free minor league system.

[eppy4life]

I don't get it.

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

#3 ... If you limit it to the time they are on scholarship ..I agree especially the felony part.... If supposedly committed before then ... maybe not... some players live in a horrible environment and conditions prior to college... SOME of them deserve a break, especially if it is non-violent. Will DWI or minor in pocession count as a misdemeanor?? There sure are a lot of them among college kids.

Edited August 12, 2011 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66