The NCAA Is Just So (Fill In The Blank)

Here’s a nice idea: Kansas and Missouri, long-time rivals in the Big Eight and later the Big 12, wanted to have an exhibition game to raise money for victims of Hurricane Florence.

Nice idea, right?

Wrong.

The NCAA put the kibosh on it saying that there could be no extra exhibitions.

We understand the reasoning, such as it is, but it’s a chance for the NCAA to put forward a human face, to let college basketball find an altruistic form of expression, a gesture of good will and concern for your fellow man that’s really quite impressive. It’s a chance to step away from the cold, bureaucratic face of the NCAA for a change.

So naturally they blew it.

Well how about this? How about if the players picked teams and just played - not KU vs. Mizzou just players playing? The coaches could watch but there would be no particular advantage for anyone. Maybe they could sit at the PA and have fun watching with everyone else. It would be just pickup - with officials and a clock, but that’s it.

It’s just a decent impulse to help people in need - and a lot of people really do need help - and that needless to say, goes against everything the NCAA has become.