the BigAmateurism monologues

Looking at the NCAA-Power 5 prisoner’s dilemma with the benefit of historical context and the evolution of the football product into a dominant sub-cartel under the NCAA umbrella, we look at the existing incentives for both the NCAA and Power 5 to either preserve the status quo through cooperation or to split and pursue their separate interests. This episode explores the reasons why the NCAA and Power 5 have strong incentives to cooperate. The “glue” that binds this cooperation is the NCAA’s overarching, national amateurism-based compensation limits. We analyze these issues through the lens of expert testimony in Alston and a risk-reward framework that incorporates rarely-discussed benefits to the Power 5 of remaining under the NCAA umbrella. I also discuss the implications in Congress of Power 5 infighting.