Like everybody else, UCF, UF, FSU and UM should simply ignore NCAA’s NIL directive | Commentary

Running off at the typewriter …

When I saw that the NCAA had sent a letter to its member institutions earlier this week warning them that they’d better stop violating NIL rules or else, I was reminded of a quote from The Wizard of Oz.

The quote was uttered by The Good Witch Glinda and came after the Wicked Witch of the West showed up in Munchkinland and started making idle threats to Dorothy. Replied a dismissive Glinda: “Rubbish, you have no power here! Be gone, before somebody drops a house on you, too!”

Don’t get me wrong,

I wish the NCAA did have more power and could enforce its NIL rules, but let’s be honest, shall we? The organization has become toothless and powerless, and sadly it’s too late to stuff the NIL genie back in the bottle.

The problem is the NCAA has ignored NIL violators for two years and now its NIL guidelines are in direct opposition to some new state laws (see Florida) that allow teams and coaches to become more involved with the collectives that help facilitate NIL deals for players. At UCF, for instance, football coach Gus Malzahn’s former director of football operations, SJ Tuohy, was recently named the executive director of the school-endorsed NIL collective known as “The Kingdom.” Malzahn himself said one of the reasons he gave up play-calling duties was to help raise NIL money.

It’s no secret that many — if not all — of the nation’s school-sponsored collectives are paying NIL inducements to athletes, recruits and transfers, which is allowed under state law but not under NCAA rules. In a letter sent to the schools Tuesday, the NCAA stressed that its rules supersede state laws.

“The Association has been clear and maintains that schools must adhere to NCAA legislation (or policy) when it conflicts with permissive state laws,” the NCAA wrote. “In other words, if a state law permits certain institutional action and NCAA legislation prohibits the same action, institutions must follow NCAA legislation.”

Whatever.

If I’m UCF, Florida, Florida State and Miami, I would call the NCAA’s bluff until the organization shows it’s serious about penalizing NIL violators. Why follow the NCAA’s rules when everybody else is seemingly ignoring them? Why drive the speed limit when everybody else is blatantly blowing by you at 80 mph?

In principle, every NCAA member institution should follow the organization’s NIL rules because, well, it was the member institutions themselves that came up with these rules. But in today’s cutthroat, dog-eat-dog world of big-money college athletics, every school is going to do whatever’s necessary to keep up with the competition.

In an interview with ESPN earlier this week, Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork essentially gave the NCAA a double-bird when asked if he will follow his state’s laughably lax NIL laws or the NCAA’s more stringent NIL rules.

“The state law is going to govern how we do business,” Bjork said. “We will continue to communicate with the NCAA on a variety of matters, but in terms of this, the state law will reign.”

For the NCAA’s clarification, let me translate Bjork’s quote:

“Rubbish, you have no power here! Be gone, before somebody drops a house on you, too!” …

SHORT STUFF: How great of an athlete is Orlando Magic draft pick Anthony Black, the 6-foot-7 point guard from Arkansas? According to The Athletic, Black was a star wide receiver at Texas’ Coppell High School and had more than a dozen football offers — including Texas, Baylor and Arkansas — despite most coaches knowing he probably would play basketball. “Dude would have been a [matchup] nightmare,” former Texas receivers coach (now UNLV offensive coordinator) Brennan Marion told the Athletic. “He could actually run routes at that size, had the mentality and could stretch the field. He was just so different. You don’t see guys that tall running routes like he could, and he was actually physical. He wasn’t soft. He could’ve been a complete receiver. He was just so smooth and he was violent. I knew he’d be elite in whatever he chose.” … Speaking of the Magic, the common belief is that with Black added to an already crowded backcourt, somebody — whether it be Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs or Gary Harris — will have to be traded at some point. But what’s the hurry? I say keep them all and have a loser-leave-town competition for playing time this season. …

If I’m the Miami Dolphins, I’m a little worried that Tyreek Hill is hanging out with perennial knucklehead Antonio Brown. There’s an old saying, “If you sleep with dogs, you’re gonna get fleas.” Even if you’re a cheetah. … I read the story in the Sentinel the other day about how Red Lobster revealed earlier this week that its all-you-can-eat promotion for selected shrimp dishes is now being offered every day for $20. Wow, they must be getting a great price on shrimp. I’ll bet they’re getting them at the prawn shop. … Sad story about former Arkansas and New England Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett drowning at a beach in the Florida Panhandle resort community of Destin. It’s not known exactly what happened, although several tourists have died over the last two weeks because of dangerous rip currents across the Panhandle. As we enter this Fourth of July weekend, remember the best way to escape a rip current is to stay calm, don’t panic and swim parallel to the shore and out of the current’s flow. Be safe out there. …

Did you see where Ross Chastain won the NASCAR race in Nashville on Sunday? Even more impressive is the fact that he didn’t wreck anybody on his way to victory lane. … Too bad for the players and coaches of the Florida Gators baseball team that they made it all the way to the final game of the College World Series only to get clubbed 18-4 by LSU in the most lopsided championship game in history. There’s no denying such a beatdown puts a major damper on an otherwise stellar season. It sort of reminded me of when Steve Spurrier’s UF football team went unbeaten in 1995 only to get waxed 62-24 by Nebraska in the national championship Fiasco, er, Fiesta Bowl. … By the way, if you’re scoring at home, the SEC has now won four straight national titles in baseball (by four different teams) and nine of the last 14 … I’m glad baseball has sped up its games, but it’s still the only sport where you can play 162 games and gain weight. … Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce estimates that up to 80 percent of NFL players use marijuana. I guess you could say the Hail Mary has given way to the Hail Mary Jane. …

LAST WORD: With Thursday being National Handshake Day, this quote from Jimmy Hoffa: “In the old days, all you needed was a handshake. Nowadays, you need 40 lawyers.”