Interstate commerce

[Nacho]

worth reading for you lawyers out there:

<A HREF="http://www.ctnow.com/sports/hc-hatch0605.artjun05,0,4368983.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports" TARGET=_blank>http://www.ctnow.com/sports/hc-hatch0605.artjun05,0,4368983.story?coll=hc-headlines-sports</A>

[MrMustang1965]

Looks good politically...but it's all 'smoke and mirrors'. Nothing will ever happen.

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"Winning ain't everything...but it's a lot more fun than the alternative!" S.M.U. SPIRIT: IT STARTS NOW!

[NavyCrimson]

YOU CAN BET I'LL BE E-MAILING HATCH'S OFFICE SAYING THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING HIM - INCLUDING DONATIONS TO HIRE THE ATTORNEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PK]

Well since everyone seems to see college athletics, or at least BCS college athletics, as now being big business...perhaps interstate commerce is the appropriate venue to address the issue.

Brand's comments are almost laughable...as Hatch's comments stated they were going to look into how the NCAA is affecting college athletics...not just the BE/ACC thing.

[This message has been edited by PK (edited 06-05-2003).]

[EastStang]

The only reason there would be a Senate hearing is if the Republican Senators in the Senate wanted to throw darts at Donna Shalala (a former Clinton cabinet member) about the priorities of the University of Miami. It would be just a mud throwing exercise.

[Stallion]

the Supreme Court has already ruled at least once in 1981 in NCAA v Oklahoma and Georgia that College Football is a business and doesn't enjoy an anti-trust exemption(like BB claims to have based upon a question 1906 case). There is absolutely no doubt that College Football affects inrerstate commerce thereby giving The Federal Courts and Congress jurisdiction over these issues. There is a pretty strong legal argument in favor of the non-BCS schools. For the life of me I don't see why the non-BCS schools don't at least call a conference to discuss legal action EVEN IF they are only bluffing legal actions. The non-BCS schools have essentially rolled over.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 06-05-2003).]

[Nacho]

This is just a guess on my part but I think the non-BCS schools are waiting to see how this shakes out in the next couple of weeks. When many, if not most, see that it does't come out the way they wanted then the suits may start. If they don't then I don't know what to make of it but laziness &/or stupdity.

[EastStang]

Congress won't do a thing except hold hearings and then do nothing, just like they always do. The current law is strong enough, and certainly could be used as a bargaining chip. In the end, I am not sure such a suit would yield any relief. The proper suit might be against the NCAA Division 1-A council as a defacto arm of the BCS. They have placed the 15,000 Butts in seats rules and the five home game rule to remain 1-A. There are 64 BCS schools and 53 non-BCS. These are anti-competitive rules meant to further remove mid-major programs from Division 1-A. I think that type of suit by a school like San Jose State or Wyoming, might fly.

[Stallion]

actually I don't think there is any problem with reasonable qualification standards such as the NCAA has set. What is an illegal restraint of trade is the tieing of bowl, conference and TV revenue and access to only thos schools who are members of certain preselected conferences without regard to the interests of the free market or the economic competitiveness of the excluded schools. And as far as the Justice Department or Congress doing a thing-it would be nice but it isn't necessary. Any non-BCS school collectively or independently would have standing to challenge the illegal restraint of trade.

[This message has been edited by Stallion (edited 06-05-2003).]

[ponyte]

Hearings will require investigation. This is a threat to the NCAA and BCS. Congress can ask then subpoena records and guess what, all kinds of things can be discovered. The Senate can ask Federal agencies to investigate and before one knows it, the Feds have the NCAA and BSC in an utter state of paranoid.

Congress may do very little but the light the shed on the internal activates of the NCAA and BCS could be rather interesting. Also, all the investigations would have a significant financial cost to these organizations. All the while without "doing anything."