Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones opted a year ago to return to school for another year. He probably regrets the decision, for a variety of reasons.
For starters, the iron was much hotter for Jones a year ago, after he led the Buckeyes to a national title with multiple impressive performances. By staying another year, having his game cool considerably, and ultimately landing on the bench, Jones’ stock is much lower now than it would have been in 2015.
Apart from the decision to pass on entering the NFL, Jones embraced another season of NCAA football. And if there was any doubt about it, Jones isn’t a fan of the NCAA.
Via Deadspin, Jones went off on college football’s governing body in a series of tweets posted on Monday.
“I’m so happy to be done with the NCAA and their rules & regulation[s],” Jones said. “They do any & everything to exploited collegiate athletes. It’s deeper than thinking we should get paid. The NCAA control[s] our lives with insane and unfair rules. Why should a collegiate athlete be able to use their OWN likeness/brand to benefit themselves but yet the NCAA can sell [their] jerseys. That’s my [two cents] on the NCAA. It’s not like that’s going to change how the athletes are exploited, even [though] 98% of people feel the same way.”
Jones may be overstating the extent to which people agree with him; a large segment of the population seems to be willing to cling to the misguided notion that major college football and basketball players should be content to receive tuition, room, board, and snacks in exchange for the millions they generate.
Regardless of whether and to what extent anyone agrees with Jones (and I definitely do), the best vehicle for change continues to be the multiple antitrust lawsuits alleging that universities fix the compensation provided to college athletes by collectively agreeing, under the umbrella of the NCAA, to a system that limits what they can receive. If that argument is accepted in the courts where it is pending, the current NCAA system could be overhauled in dramatic ways.
