Force a Choice for Division 1 Schools

Re “Note to Fans: Take Control,” editorial, July 5:

Your editorial supporting the Knight Commission and underscoring the hypocrisy of Division 1 NCAA sports was right on the mark. I propose that all Division 1 schools be forced to choose between two alternatives. One would recognize a semipro status for the teams. They would be farm clubs for the pros. All players would be paid a salary and would not be students at the university, but the university could continue to make money from TV contracts. The other alternative would be school teams with no athletic scholarships and players who were students admitted to the university under the same standards as everyone else and who carried full academic loads.

This would solve many problems. Universities could continue to rake in big money from athletics. Players on the semipro teams could be paid openly instead of under the table. Coaches and universities could avoid the unpleasantness of being caught and punished for recruiting violations on a regular basis, and they could avoid the stigma of low graduation rates among players.

The biggest casualty would be hypocrisy. No longer would it be necessary for large universities and the NCAA to say one thing and do the opposite.

David R. Gillespie

Bonita