Competitive fears found among ADs
College athletes will someday soon be permitted to be paid sponsors, social media influencers and product endorsers.
Change is imminent, but not everyone in college sports believes it is for the better as athletes get closer to earning money from third parties for use of their name, image or likeness (NIL).
In an Associated Press survey of Division I athletic directors, nearly 73% said allowing athletes to be compensated for NIL use will decrease the number of schools that have a chance to be competitive in college sports. Nearly 28% said many fewer schools would be competitive.
“NIL will be a game changer for all,” one respondent said. “Many will get out of college athletics as this is not what they signed up for. Schools should resist NIL and go Ivy (League) nonscholarship model. I do not see why NIL is good for all.”
Tulane athletic director Troy Dannen was among the 15% of ADs who said they believe NIL payments will have no impact on competitive balance.
“The kids that are going to Alabama are still going to go to Alabama. The kids that are going to Southern Cal are still going to go to Southern Cal. The kids that are going to Tulane are still going to go to Tulane,” said Dannen, whose school competes at the top tier of Division I football (FBS) in the American Athletic Conference.
Most of the survey respondents came from schools outside the Power Five conferences, the wealthiest and most powerful in college sports (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac12 and SEC).
The NCAA is trying to change its rules regarding NIL and compensation for athletes, but the process has bogged down under scrutiny from the Justice Department.
Tennis: With the Big Three absent at the Miami Open, and the next generation in tennis scrambling to fill the void, it was Hubert Hurkacz of Poland who made a breakthrough.
The 24yearold Hurkacz won the biggest title of his career by beating 19yearold Jannik Sinner of Italy 76 (4), 64 in the final.
Hurkacz improved to 100 in Florida this year, including the Delray Beach title in January. Ranked 37th, he is projected to climb to a careerhigh 16th in next week’s rankings.
The matchup in the final was a surprise even though Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer skipped the tournament, as did reigning U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem. Hurkacz eliminated No. 2seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 4 Andrey Rublev — the first time he has beaten two top10 opponents in the same tournament.
Sinner, playing in just his third Masters 1000 tournament, wobbled serving at 65 in the first set and was broken at love. He lost his serve twice more to fall behind 40 in the second set.
Hurkacz returned well and broke four times as he became Poland’s first Masters 1000 champion.
Memorabilia: A bat Lou Gehrig used late in his career sold for $715,120 at an online auction this weekend.
SCP Auctions said the Gehrig bat dated to 1938, his nexttolast season in the majors. It came from the collection of Yankees Hall of Fame teammate Earle Combs’ family.