o
o
I think
that the NCAA is an illegal conspiracy in restraint of trade. I think
they could and should be prosecuted under the Sherman Antitrust Act. I
think the conspiracy is so open and notorious that it would be easy for the
government to meet the burden of proof. The price fixing involved is also
obvious. Using the NCAA, universities hold the wages of college athletes
at zero. Given the "cheating" uncovered from year to year,
where rich alumnae pay athletes on the side, it's clear that the market price would
be a lot higher. Certain schools, like my alma mater the University of
Illinois Urbana, get slammed for "cheating," usually when they manage
to have a good team. So often, like when I was there from 1968-1972, they
just have an excellent band. There's not as much money in that, so
there's no equivalent of the NCAA for marching bands.