Nothing could have preserved the tradition of college sports. The insatiable greed of the power conference schools has destroyed the experience for 90% of NCAA institutions. They want all the money and exposure. They want all the spots in post-season tournaments, even the NIT which used to be a worthy prize for mid-majors.
Historically, the NCAA did try to shield the majority of the membership from the greed of the bigs. From the early 1950s until the early 1980s, the NCAA retained a monopoly over the telecasting of football. To protect the gates of all member institutions, the NCAA restricted any school...Ohio State, Notre Dame, Alabama, etc... from appearing on national television more than 3 times in a two year period. The NCAA also distributed the proceeds of the tv contract that it controlled widely among the membership.
That all changed as cable tv injected millions, then billions, into college sports. The University of Georgia sued the NCAA and won back control of its athletic television rights. Soon big time conferences then made deals with the networks with no restrictions on the number of appearances. Notre Dame struck their own deal with NBC. And for 90% of NCAA institutions, no distribution of proceeds and big time games saturating the tv dial on Saturdays, snuffing out attendance.
For the last four decades the NCAA could at least control academic standards and player movement. Now that is also gone. The NCAA no longer has any real authority, as it loses in court every time it tries to interfere with the greedy aspirations of the bigs. It could not even stop Tennessee from using NIL money to lure recruits.
For YSU fans, and those of 90% of the nation's colleges, you now have a choice. As Mudclods noted, just cheer for the YSU shirt and don't worry about the individual who happens to be wearing it (however briefly.) Or just walk away from this corrupt system. For me I will just support the YSU shirt and intensify my hatred for each and all big time greed machines.
