Commissioner Baldman

Regarding the talk of expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams, I think it would be a big mistake. It would reward regular season mediocrity and make the conference tournaments irrelevant. But if I were the head of the NCAA, here are the changes I would make:


1) Allow the players to be paid. This is America. If someone wants to pay you for your talents/ability, why should this be against the rules? A coach can get hundreds of thousands of dollars to endorse sneakers, but if one of his players sells his sneakers for $50, that kid gets barred. That ain't right. Under the Baldman rules, schools would not be able to play players, but everybody else would be free to do so.


2) While players would be able to get paid, they also would have to go to school. I would treat academic fraud very harshly. You have to take and complete at least 12 credits every semester. Real classes too. No favoritism for athletes in the classroom. Schools that engage in academic fraud --such as giving athletes a passing grade when they don't even show up for class--will be barred from the tournament. When you pass a kid that doesn't deserve it, you are being unfair to the student who actually studied and earned their grade.

3) Baldman's "Comeback " Rule. These players generate a boatload of cash for the top programs. A lot of them leave without a degree. To recognize their contribution to the bottom line, every Division I college basketball player who completes at least 48 credits before dropping out will be able to return at any time to that school to complete their degree. I would require the 48 credit minimum to qualify because it would reflect the fact that the player at least attempted to hit the books while he attended the University. Nothing wrong with a second chance.