Author:
An Observer
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Date Posted: 12:02:25 10/08/24 Tue
I'm not saying that, because the new reality of college sports is "black," that what preceded it was "white." Of course not.
It was definitely "grey" before, starting in the 1870's when Princeton and Yale pioneered the practice of recruiting football ringers using alumni influence and funding. I have no delusions that college sports have been snow white ever since the first Tiger or Bulldog alum muttered to his classmate, "I'm sick of losing to those sons of bitches. Get out your wallet." SMU and Baylor boosters have nothing on their predecessors in orange or blue.
And there are not "plenty" of Ivy athletes who would not have been admitted but for their jump shots or 40 times. Virtually *all* Ivy recruited varsity athletes would not have been admitted on their academics alone in the current era of 4-9% admission rates. I'm guessing 85-90% would not have been admitted if you erased their contribution to our varsity teams. And the 10-15% who could make it in on their own would be concentrated in the so-called Olympic sports.
But surely you can see the difference in degree between pre-NIL, pre-portal college sports and what will exist going forward.
It was definitely grey before, but we have passed the inflection point. We are headed for black, pitch black.
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