[socalstanfan1]

I haven't beaten this drum in a while, but I think a way to address much of the corruption/difficulties of the NCAA would be for the NFL and NBA to develop legitimate minor/developmental leagues open to players coming straight out of HS, a la Hockey and Baseball.  My totally un-researched, impressionistic perception:

The most obvious NCAA problems revolve around football and basketball, sports in which athletes with aspirations for the big bucks of the professional leagues are more or less compelled to attend to hone their skills (Yes, a few basketball players have headed for China or Europe, rather than the colleges, but that requires a personal uprooting that many 17 year olds and their families would be unwilling to make, particularly when universities will essentially allow them to do their apprenticeship free of cost, locally).  Giving young athletes who have no real interest in university education a realistic alternative to universities would alleviate a lot of issues.

The NBA D-league seems to be making some strides toward something like a real minor league, but I don't know if they have taken any players directly out of HS.  Changing the rules of the NBA to allow drafting of a player, and then requiring an athlete straight from HS spend a year in the D-league would essentially give HS players a real choice on where to go.

This might lead to less interest in college sports, at least at the level of the casual fan.  A lot of interest in March Madness or the football bowl games is the chance to see young players who your favorite pro team might draft, and speculate about how they will do at the professional level.  And for this reason, along with the cost that pro teams might have to pay to support a minor league system, reform is unlikely any time soon. 

[socalstanfan1]

I haven't beaten this drum in a while, but I think a way to address much of the corruption/difficulties of the NCAA would be for the NFL and NBA to develop legitimate minor/developmental leagues open to players coming straight out of HS, a la Hockey and Baseball.  My totally un-researched, impressionistic perception:

The most obvious NCAA problems revolve around football and basketball, sports in which athletes with aspirations for the big bucks of the professional leagues are more or less compelled to attend to hone their skills (Yes, a few basketball players have headed for China or Europe, rather than the colleges, but that requires a personal uprooting that many 17 year olds and their families would be unwilling to make, particularly when universities will essentially allow them to do their apprenticeship free of cost, locally).  Giving young athletes who have no real interest in university education a realistic alternative to universities would alleviate a lot of issues.

The NBA D-league seems to be making some strides toward something like a real minor league, but I don't know if they have taken any players directly out of HS.  Changing the rules of the NBA to allow drafting of a player, and then requiring an athlete straight from HS spend a year in the D-league would essentially give HS players a real choice on where to go.

This might lead to less interest in college sports, at least at the level of the casual fan.  A lot of interest in March Madness or the football bowl games is the chance to see young players who your favorite pro team might draft, and speculate about how they will do at the professional level.  And for this reason, along with the cost that pro teams might have to pay to support a minor league system, reform is unlikely any time soon.