Please welcome Miami Hurricanes football to the NCAA doghouse.
On Monday, news publicly broke that “The U” became the latest football powerhouse to be investigated by the NCAA for allegedly providing players improper benefits. Officials reportedly have been reviewing the team for the past five months.
Just like at USC and Ohio State, past and current players were backed by boosters- receiving gifts ranging from cars to special access to parties. Former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro admitted to ESPN.com to providing these benefits to players such as current starting senior quarterback Jacory Harris, and NFL pros Devin Hester and Willis McGahee.
Shapiro currently resides in a Brooklyn detention center, serving a 20-year sentence for his $930 million Ponzi scheme.
But after all of these allegations, does the common college football fan really care that many of the nation’s top dynasties are shaped through unethical means?
It’s tragic that the past decade has been plagued with recruiting and compensation violations, but TV ratings still prosper and mass corporate advertisements are everywhere. At the end of the day, America wants to see the best schools and the best teams every Saturday, even if the star receiver might have taken an unsanctioned paycheck.
The debate whether college athletes should receive extended benefits will never die, but college football is a successful business.
Reach the reporter at jnacion@asu.edu
