The NCAA is considering a change to the definition of amateur. Well almost. Hockey wants not part of this.  This actually has little to do with football, but I will eventually get to the sport that typically funds most of the rest.

The proposed rule change would no longer prohibit players who have played on a team where other players got paid, regardless of whether they have been paid or not.  This sounds strange to us due to the strict lines in our culture between amateur and professional sports.  Many parts of the world, particularly Europe, have cultures that blur the line, if any distinction is made.

Basketball and volleyball players for Europe are reported to be the biggest issues.  In Europe they don't have the high school and college levels like we have.  In their place are pro clubs with minor league, community leagues and youth leagues.  Often players from various levels play games with club at a higher level than the are currently at.  The result is unpaid players end up playing for teams that typically get paid on a trial basis.

The current rules require players to demonstrate that none of the teams they have played on had players that were paid above the level allowed by the NCAA.  This can be problematic as the teams are not required to release this information to an organization in another country and often the other players are hard to get a hold of.  Simply monitoring and enforcing this rule is problematic.

ESPN's article reported that this rule may not be enforced in a consistent manner in all cases, with many cases falling through the cracks. 

The accusations of rules and punishments not being administered fairly by the NCAA is not a new development.  A study was release in late September that argued that NCAA punishments are harsher for non-BCS and historically black schools.  Which brings me back to the topic of this blog (though I plan to cover NCAA rule changes in the off season.)

Why the BCS is better than an NCAA tournament, after the jump...

If the BCS is as American as the electoral college, then the NCAA is as efficient at governing tournaments as the US congress.

Lets entertain the caricature of a corrupt and oppressive conspiracy in college sports gerrymandering the rules to keep their power base intact and unthreatened.  The BCS is the front for a far deeper and profound cancer within the NCAA.  Who runs the BCS?  The 11 conference commissioners.  These people are under the same thumbs that drive the NCAA mafia.  Consider:

February 2009: MWC submits a BCS proposal
March 2009: NCAA Basketball tournament selection committee overlooks MWC members New Mexico  and SDSU and takes teams with a lower RPI for the final at-large bids.
April 2009: BCS responds to the MWC proposal with the observation that only their idea of the inclusion of a selection committee rather than the BCS standings had merit

Or: MWC get back in line, or else!

By keeping the championship system in the hands of the conference commissioners and bowl sponsors the BCS keeps the NCAA's ancient and dirty politics out of college football.  While some accuse the BCS of violating anti-trust law, let's not forget the US Supreme Court found the NCAA has violated anti-trust laws in its revenue sharing and TV coverage rules of the 80's.  The BCS is at least innocent until proven guilty.