President Obama says the NCAA needs to rethink the rules on how it treats student-athletes
In an interview with Huffington Post, Obama said that because student-athletes generate so much money for their schools they should have better protection when it comes to scholarships. The president said that the NCAA should require schools guarantee scholarships to their athletes regardless of if a player is injured or cut from the team.
Obama also said that the rules in place to protect amateurism can be unfair when considering the millions of dollars by the NCAA, athletic directors, and coaches. When asked about the idea of compensating players, Obama said that he doesn't want a situation where recruits are bidded on by schools. The president
"I do think that recognizing that the majority of these student athletes are not going to end up playing professional ball -- this isn’t just a farm system for the NBA or the NFL -- means that the universities have more responsibilities than right now they’re showing," Obama said.
The president may have some personal insight into the issues facing student-athletes. Yahoo Sports reports that Obama was in attendance at the Princeton women's basketball NCAA tournament game on Saturday to support his niece who is a backup forward for the undefeated Tigers.
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