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John,
The NCAA continues to criminalize Black student-athletes for not having money. Last year, Chase Young, a star defensive football player for the Ohio Buckeyes, sought after his dream of having his family see him play in one of the biggest football events of the year, The Rosebowl. He had to borrow money from a family friend to pay for airfare for his family to travel for the game, and he paid the family friend back. But the NCAA put Young under investigation, and suspended him two games, forcing him to sit out of games that jeopardized his chances of winning the Heisman trophy.1
In Memphis, the NCAA is sabotaging basketball star, James Wiseman, for the financial support that his family was given, without his knowledge, when he was in high school. Wiseman’s then high school coach, Penny Hardaway helped pay for him and his family to relocate to a better high school.2 But because of this, the NCAA started an investigation and is blocking him from playing.3
The Investigations of Chase Young and James Wiseman demonstrate that the NCAA cannot be trusted to manage the finances of Black student-athletes. This is why we need Congressional oversight on fair pay for Black student-athletes.
The dollar amount of Chase Young’s airfare and James Wiseman’s family support is miniscule when compared to the billions NCAA will make off of these athletes this season. The NCAA signed a TV deal with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting to air its March Madness tournament that will make them a billion dollars a year.4 Yet NCAA is criminalizing Chase Young and James Wiseman over thousand-dollar transactions meant to help their families.
The NCAA recently succumbed to national pressure to allow athletes to earn money from the use of their names, images, and likenesses. But because this is the NCAA, we know there will be arbitrary limitations for how and when players can earn and spend their own money. The scrutiny over student-athlete finances will only increase as the players are exposed to more economic opportunity, as seen in the cases of James Wiseman and Chase Young. We can’t leave it up to the NCAA to create fair rules for student-athletes.
Color Of Change members fought and won fair pay for our student-athletes in California. Now, we must make sure we do the same for student-athletes around the nation. Federal legislation must be created to limit the authority of the NCAA in determining economic opportunities for Black student-athletes. Several members of Congress are already on board to end NCAA’s dictatorship.
Demand federal legislation to protect them from NCAA’s exploitation!
Until justice is real,
Jade, Rashad, Arisha, Johnny, Evan, Future, Amanda, Eesha, Samantha, Marcus, FolaSade and the rest of the Color of Change team
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