What’s Next for the NCAA

Over the past few years, the reputation and legitimacy of the NCAA has taken a massive hit. It’s crippled the strength of the NCAA’s image in the media and in the case of public opinion. USC, Penn State, UNC and even Miami, have all felt the wrath of the NCAA and the governing body of collegiate athletics has not treaded through these situations by their own rules.

The damning emailings between NCAA leadership in regards to how they wanted to punish Penn State, it was made crystal clear that they had no idea what they were doing, no sense of confidence in the choice to punish Penn State or how to punish the school in the first place. The emails came out because of an investigation being conducted by the Pennsylvania senate in order to keep the financial punishment of $60 million in Pennsylvania instead of other national organizations.

Now, the NCAA is forced to turn over 477 more emails relating to Penn State and how they have handled the case. It’s already not looking good based off of the emails that have already been released and we can see how much more the NCAA continues to dig their own grave.

How can universities trust a governing body that “bluffs” members into the toughest sanctions hammered down on its member schools. The doubt that the public has already had on the credibility of the NCAA and especially it’s leader, Mark Emmert, is now solidified in the emails. The NCAA is going to have to answer for the ways that they have chosen to punish schools like USC and Penn State.

And now, with athletes at Georgia and Florida State actually breaking the rules that college athletes are supposed to follow, the NCAA remains silent, knowing that their next steps in punishing players will determine their future.