the BigAmateurism monologues

In this episode, I frame the context for the period 2019 – present, which may be the most consequential era in college sports history. I do a summary of crucial milestones in the modern era of college sports leading up to 2019. I identify six themes that have developed over the last seventy years that have come to define the business of big-time college sports: (1) the belief among in-system stakeholders that the NCAA and only the NCAA should be the sole regulatory authority in college sports; (2) the decades long tension between powerful football interests (now the Power 5) and the NCAA national office; (3) the unprecedented market dominance and political influence of the Power 5 conferences; (4) the propaganda tactics used by the NCAA and Power 5 to manipulate public opinion and decision-makers in Congress, federal courts, and state legislatures to NCAA/Power 5-friendly positions; and, (5) the influence of Myles Brand’s “collegiate model” to justify the amateur-professional dilemma. All these themes will influence the next round of Senate hearings after the August recess in what may be the final phase of the perfect storm.