NCAA, CBS contract may benefit Division II, III schools

Although the NCAA announced an 11-year, $6-billion contract with CBS sports earlier this year, it is still debatable how much of that money the University will actually see.

The contract primarily guarantees the rights to broadcast the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but also will include the promotion of other collegiate sports' championships.

"It is certainly not clear how the money is going to be used," said Education Prof. Percy Bates during the University Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics meeting last night. Student athletes and universities will benefit from the contract, but the details have not yet been negotiated, Bates said.

"The majority of funds do not trickle down to institutions where it is needed," Athletic Director Tom Goss said.

There will be serious debate, Goss said, about whether the money will be spread to Division II and Division III schools, or allotted entirely to Division I members. If the contract is expanded to Division II and Division III schools, it will decrease the amount of money the University receives.

These discussions are just the beginning of the debate over how the $6 billion will be distributed, Percy said.

Goss also raised the question of how the contract will affect NCAA women's basketball, since the contract was made primarily for the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Board members also discussed the upcoming Mock Rock fundraiser and the possibility of a collegiate football play-off.

Mock Rock, sponsored by the Student Athlete Advisory Council, will be a lip-synch competition between athletes. It is scheduled for Jan. 24.

Proceeds from fundraiser will go to the Jeff Reese Scholarship, which was created to commemorate Reese following the Michigan wrestler's death Dec. 9, 1997. Reese collapsed after a strenuous workout while wearing a rubber suit to lose weight for competition in a lower weight-class.

In discussions about the possibility of a tournament schedule in college football, Goss said the University does not support the possibility of play-offs.

Extending the season and number of games could have an adverse impact on the physical health and academic performance of student athletes, Goss said. The team already has injured and physically fatigued players by the end of the season and extending the season would be detrimental to these athletes.

For a collegiate football play-off to happen, each conference would need to approve a proposal for the system. Football is controlled primarily by individual conferences, unlike basketball which is controlled primarily by the NCAA.

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