The NCAA is in Trouble, and Players Shouldn't Have Any Sympathy
As fall draws closer we will get a clearer picture of what the NCAA's plans are to play games during a pandemic, which may require it to force unpaid student athletes to put their health and safety on the line.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for a lot of industries, including sports. Each league is trying to find a way to play games that don’t blatantly put the health of its players, coaches and other staff members at risk. A big reason for this is that, even during a pandemic, there is money to be made from games, and no sports organization is as desperate to generate revenue than the NCAA.
While the organization was one of the first to address the pandemic back in March when it restricted fans from attending March Madness games, before scrapping the entire tournament, it faces an even bigger challenge in the coming months: football.
The cancellation of March Madness had devastating financial consequences on the NCAA, but the cancellation of an entire football season could be even worse. The sport is a huge revenue generator for a lot of colleges and universities that are going to see a decline in attendance, and therefore tuition dollars, this fall. But while schools may be left in a very difficult situation if there is no season, by no means should any NCAA athlete for any sport have to play in the midst of a pandemic.
It makes sense that professional athletes would want to play because playing their respective sports is how they make a living, and even with that being said many across different leagues have opted out of playing. College athletes do not get paid for playing their respective sports, an entirely separate issue, therefore the only incentive for them to play is to keep their scholarships. One could argue that some student athletes would want to play anyway for simply the love of the game, but that will almost certainly not be the case.
According to the Los Angeles Times, 30 UCLA football players wrote a letter to the university last month which condemned the school for failing to protect their health and safety. This came after certain schools, like Alabama and Auburn, began training camps early and saw a surge of COVID-19 cases among the players.
Certain conferences are taking matters into their own hands. Earlier this month the Ivy League announced that no sports would be played during the fall season. Some smaller Division III conferences have also cancelled fall sports.
But schools that generate a lot of money from football and are dependent on that money, like Alabama and Auburn, are likely going to try to find a way to play. The NCAA is already staring down a very uncertain future with all of the revenue lost, so it will encourage anyway to bring in money even if it means making unpaid student athletes put the health and safety of themselves and of their families on the line.
Whether or not the NCAA will, or can, force student athletes to play has yet to be seen. We will find out come the fall, and if early training camps were any indication then resuming games guarantees many players will get infected with COVID-19. The consequences of that could be dire, and that, combined with the huge loss of revenue from March Madness, puts the NCAA’s future in uncharted territory.
Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Report: Michael Rosen
Being a black gay creative for me feels liberating but at the same time there’s pressure. Pressure in needing to express yourself to a white society, that you are enough; what feels like having to explain my existence. having to explain why who I am and the art I produce is more than a hyper sexual view, but just what it is, art - expression, my expression.
Summer is here and it’s important for every woman to feel beautiful in their own skin. Support these amazing companies that offer some beautiful swimwear pieces that will leave you feeling confident and vibrant.
It's always been important to support black designers, but amid a pandemic and sociopolitical crisis, these black artists and business owners need your support now more than ever!
While people have shown concern for the rapper, others have taken the opportunity to make jokes about the incident. Within the last couple of months, the topic of how Black women are marginalized in society has become more prevalent.
The sudden worldwide shift to Digital Fashion Weeks has engendered confusion and ambivalence among designers and fashion brands, particularly in regards to the content of their promotional videos.
After witnessing the backlash from Simone Biles Vogue cover I had to sit aside and ponder: Why is it so challenging for some photographers to capture the beauty of black skin/people? Our undertones, our glow, even the texture of our hair. So, like always I went looking for methods to best capture dark skin.
This spicy blackberry and plum sauce recipe was a push for something different and will now be my go to condiment for the summer season.
Black women die at a rate three times higher than white women when giving birth. The death of Sha-Asia Washington has shown the racial disparities Black women face in childbirth.
Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon is the first posthumous album to reach No. 1 since 2018. Pop Smoke and XXXTentacion are two of the four hip-hop artists with posthumous No. 1s. They follow The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, who each have three posthumous leaders. R.I.P to the Woo.
To be black and well can mean a lot of things, but should definitely include #Skincare #Meditation #BlackReading among many other things, daily! #BlackLivesMatter #HealthAndWellness #AmplifyBlackVoices
Ib Kamara Celebrates "Future, Community, Beauty, and Blackness" in Browns' "Family Affair"
What we wear should make us feel good, especially for our moms to be. Finding the perfect pair of jeans and tops can be tough, and for pregnant women, even harder. Read more to see some great places to shop tha
Among the many other issues surrounding diversity and inclusion within the fashion industry, it's important to acknowledge the failings of the system that produces fashion industry practitioners; the university.
In these months of solitude, the bored masses have switched on to Netflix to help them escape the mundane feeling of the lockdown. This constant tuning in is no new feeling to teenagers, whose viewership has created an entirely new genre of melodramatic “teen” shows and movies. While I binged (and rebinged) these shows, I became increasingly interested in the patterns of dress. As a fashion zealot, I tend to fixate on styling within any form of media - I get excited by fresh perspectives in fashion. Especially when it is portrayed through a young character’s style. Sadly,
Pose tells the story of LGBTQ ballroom culture in New York City during the late 1980s and early 1990s and has thus been applauded for being a television show with prevalent trans actors. A key player in bringing this historical scene to life is Billy Porter, who portrays the character Pray Tell.
On July 23 Taylor Swift shocked the world by revealing that at midnight shwe would be releasing a new surprise album. She explained, “Most of the things I had planned this summer didn’t end up happening, but there is something I hadn’t planned on that DID happen. And that thing is my 8th studio album, folklore.” On midnight of July 24 the 16 track Alternative/Indie album was released. It has been an instant success and begs the question; Taylor has done country, pop, and now Indie, what can’t she do?
Tanaye White: Sports Illustrated's Dynamic 2020 Model
As fall draws closer we will get a clearer picture of what the NCAA's plans are to play games during a pandemic, which may require it to force unpaid student athletes to put their health and safety on the line.
As of recent, Kanye West has shown interest in becoming the next President of the United States, though it came out of nowhere.
Naya Rivera’s death has been a heartbreaking shock to her beloved son, her friends, family and colleagues. Not only that, it’s a loss for fans everywhere who have admired and been impacted by Naya both on and off the screen.
Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon is the first posthumous album to reach No. 1 since 2018. Pop Smoke and XXXTentacion are two of the four hip-hop artists with posthumous No. 1s. They follow The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac, who each have three posthumous leaders. R.I.P to the Woo.
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.