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Instead Of Lobbying Congress, NCAA’s Baker Needs To Lead

Plus: Commissioner Talk and UWW's Baseball Diplomacy

Author

Steve Ulrich
July 06, 2023

JULY 6, 2023 | written by STEVE ULRICH

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TOP STORY
1. Instead Of Lobbying Congress, NCAA’s Baker Needs To Lead

by Joe Moglia, Sportico

“NCAA President Charlie Baker has been pounding the pavement in Washington D.C. in recent weeks, and it’s pretty clear why: He wants Congress to solve the NCAA’s problems for him.

Baker, who says he’ll announce a new “roadmap” for the NCAA (this month), is pushing for Congress to step in and grant the organization new antitrust protections and engage the Federal Trade Commission to regulate name, image & likeness (NIL) deals. He also reportedly wants Congress to enact restrictions on pay-for-play by collectives, revenue sharing with athletes, and the potential classification of student athletes as employees.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that when the legal system and the government paved the way for NIL, the most significant development in the recent history of college sports, the NCAA was nowhere to be found. Baker’s strategy of going to Capitol Hill for help makes sense for a politician (and maybe the government can help), but it puzzles me, because I can’t imagine any business seeking out government to solve its problems.”

» Reality Check: “Baker is trying to make a big deal that athletes don’t want to be designated as “employees.” This is an absurd obfuscation of the real issue: Student athletes who are getting money are professionals, and they want to be paid for what they do, regardless of whether they’re categorized as employees or some other term.”

» The Bottom Line: “I still think it’s very likely that the Power Five will eventually break away from the NCAA, at least in football. If Baker were to drive this spin-off, he would not only demonstrate leadership, but he’ll also remove the greatest challenge to the NCAA’s authority right now—giving him more respect and influence with all the rest of college athletics.”

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CONFERENCES
2. Q&A With ASC’s David Flores

by Cory Hogue, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football

“David Flores was named the third Commissioner in the history of the American Southwest Conference on June 21. He arrives at the ASC after spending his entire career at FBS institutions and, most recently, a 12-year stint with the Big 12 Conference.

He assumes the role of Commissioner at a difficult time for the ASC. The conference will lose Sul Ross State to NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference, with Austin College, McMurry, and Texas Lutheran set to move to the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference after this season.

Add in the loss of Belhaven before the 2022 season, Southwestern before the 2023 season, and non-football members Ozarks and Concordia Texas in 2024, and you have a conference left with six total institutions and only four that sponsor football.”

» What They’re Saying: “Solidifying our membership has to be a central part of our message as we go through the options. We have to remember that we’re in this for the student-athlete. Should we be a conference where we’re sending our students eight to 10 hours away for a road game? I don’t think so.“

ACADEMICS
3. Whitewater Shows Serbian U15 Baseball Team The Ropes

UW-Whitewater baseball coach John Vodenlich (photo by Anthony Wahl)

by Tom Miller, The Gazette

The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals played two Major League Baseball games this past weekend in London, helping spread the sport’s appeal across the pond.

John Vodenlich, UW-Whitewater’s baseball coach, also is continuing to do his part to promote the game abroad.

Vodenlich spearheaded the effort to enhance a 10-day “Baseball in the U.S.” summer trip for a 16-person group — including 11 Serbian 15U baseball players.”

» Field Awareness: “The Serbian contingent landed in Chicago on Saturday and by the time they depart O’Hare Field to return home on the Fourth of July, the players and chaperones will have been to three MLB games, a summer college wooden-bat league game and an independent pro league game; played four games against 15U squads from Jefferson, Whitefish Bay and Cumberland; and practiced at UW-Whitewater’s Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.”

» Why It Matters: “Vodenlich found another opportunity to spread his love of baseball and improve the foundational skills of Serbian players when he found out about the 15U team’s planned U.S. trip. With help from sponsors and friends associated with UW-Whitewater, the Serbian group is staying in dorms on the UW-Whitewater campus. Each of the 10 days spent here are designed to show the Serbians what baseball and summer activities in the Midwest are all about.”

NEWS
4. Lightning Round ⚡️

🏈 Football. KDKA-TV announced Wednesday that six Washington & Jefferson College football games will be broadcast on the Pittsburgh's CW and KDKA.com as well as the CBS News Pittsburgh App this fall.

🗞 News. “New Jersey City will receive a $10 million lifeline from the state to help the embattled institution dig out of a financial crisis. The additional state funding will plug an $8.1M hole in NJCU’s 2024 budget.”

🗞 News. “A new report from Moody’s Investors Service finds that college closures “will continue to accelerate gradually” as the higher education sector navigates financial challenges. Small private colleges with enrollment struggles are ‘most vulnerable to closure,’ the report states.”

TRANSACTIONS
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