Commentary

State of the Game: Conclusions

As series ends, nine recommendations for improving NCAA, college hoops

Updated: November 16, 2011, 11:32 AM ET
By Jay Bilas | ESPN Insider

As we draw our examination of college basketball to a close, I submit one man's conclusions from our study.

If you have not already done so, I encourage you to read and consider the thoughtful opinions and data from ESPN's State of the Game series. This comprehensive view of college basketball depicts a healthy and profitable sport, but one that faces significant challenges. Based upon the State of the Game and my experiences in and around the game, I have reached some conclusions and, looking forward, respectfully offer these suggestions:

1. Reorganize the Entire NCAA Structure

President Mark Emmert has put forth a number of changes, often referred to as reforms. To do so in a timely fashion and not have his efforts stifled by the ridiculously slow bureaucracy, Emmert had to bypass the normal legislative process. That needs to be the new normal.

In order to keep up with a changing landscape, the NCAA governing structure needs to be streamlined and much smaller. All of these needless committees should go and the process should allow quick decisions to be made by people who know what they are doing. If you look at a flow chart of the NCAA governing structure and how things work, you will get dizzy. We need to start over, and do it in an efficient manner. When the NCAA governing structure makes the United States Congress look efficient, you know there is a problem.

No good business would function the way the NCAA does. It is past time to remedy this mess.

2. Put Experts in Charge of Football and Basketball

Football and basketball are big businesses and should not be run by a group of school administrators. Experienced sports business experts should be put in charge.


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Jay Bilas

College Basketball analyst
  • College basketball analyst for ESPN and ESPN Insider
  • Played and coached at Duke
  • Practicing attorney

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