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It is officially a stampede.

As much I hate the idea of this happening I can’t come up with good enough reasons for why it shouldn’t happen.  The reasons I hate it are rooted in my own self interest.  I don’t want two sports I love and follow closely to be impacted.  I absolutely believe there will be unintended consequences that negatively impact the college game because of it but I still don’t think those reasons are enough for this not to happen.  

If a local car dealership wants to use a cute coed to do commercials they can get an education major on an academic scholarship and be good to go.  An education major on a women’s basketball scholarship can’t.  I can’t reconcile that in my mind as much I really want to.

As far as I can tell athletes affiliated with the NCAA are about the only adults on earth not able to profit from their image and likeness being used if they are in a position to profit from that.

As much I hate the idea of this happening I can’t come up with good enough reasons for why it shouldn’t happen.  The reasons I hate it are rooted in my own self interest.  I don’t want two sports I love and follow closely to be impacted.  I absolutely believe there will be unintended consequences that negatively impact the college game because of it but I still don’t think those reasons are enough for this not to happen. 

If a local car dealership wants to use a cute coed to do commercials they can get an education major on an academic scholarship and be good to go.  An education major on a women’s basketball scholarship can’t.  I can’t reconcile that in my mind as much I really want to.

As far as I can tell athletes affiliated with the NCAA are about the only adults on earth not able to profit from their image and likeness being used if they are in a position to profit from that.

Yup, I feel similarly.

In theory I'm "for" this because I believe in Capitalism and this NCAA rule is severely anti-Capitalist.  I do of course understand the history behind it and the "case law" of exploitation that led to the clamp-down and forced amateurism model, but I still don't see that as reason enough to treat these students differently than the other 99% of the population.

But I can't help but feel vaguely uneasy about where we will find ourselves, once this kind of law becomes prevalent across the country and everyone is allowed to do it.  I know for certain there will be unintended consequences.  I'm hopeful the negative ones will be minimal, and that there will be some positives ones we don't expect, to help balance it out.

Capitalism does tend to enable monopolies if unrestrained.  The term "free market economics" is one I prefer to capitalism.

None of this is a free market either of course, no real competition.

What are the odds the NCAA breaks "in half" with schools forming an "NAIA" separate organization and still having the NCAA?

There's a reason I didn't use the term "free market" and it's because this one is decidedly not so.  And I'm quite comfortable using the word "Capitalism" which is why I did so. 

I don't think the NCAA can survive such a break.  It's basically funded entirely on the NCAA basketball tournament, which brings in close to a billion dollars per year (edit-- the NCAA obviously pays the schools/conferences and doesn't retain all of this, not trying to imply that they do).

Any "breakaway" from the NCAA over this specific issue would necessarily include the top basketball programs, so I don't see the NCAA existing beyond such a break, at least not in any relevant, meaningful way.

cross my fingers, just for luck