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A column in the sports section of the Sept. 20 edition of the Sun-Gazette observes the changing landscape of money in college football.
While the column by Neil Rudel focuses on the impact on the Penn State Nittany Lions, a quote from a former Penn State head coach, Bill O'Brien, now at Boston College, catches our eyes
"Never one to mince words, O'Brien recently called the state of college football 'a terrible system … There are no rules."
We certainly agree that the system needs reform -- with greater transparency and oversight of the money flowing into what is supposed to be a game played by college students as they pursue their education.
We must question, however, the tenor and timeline of this debate, which seems for too many to start with the Supreme Court's decision opening the door to students cashing in on name, image and likeness deals -- what some might call endorsement deals.
Before the court's decision, well-funded colleges could capitalize on these athletes' images instead -- and of course, college football coaches and in some cases college basketball coaches have enjoyed eye-popping salaries for decades.
We, again, believe there needs to be reform. But reform prompted only by student atheletes collecting checks that offers no criticism of coaches collecting millions of dollars a year does not strike as as honest or fair criticism.
We hope instead any efforts at drafting proposals or ideas for reform can be comprehensive -- and recognize that if money shifts or warps the proverbial playing field, it does so at levels throughout the realm of college sports and not just when student athletes are compensated as well.