St. John's Basketball head coach Rick Pitino hasn't taken a liking to the latest NCAA proposal granting different rules to schools with higher resources compared to the rest of the Division I schools.
“So let me understand this latest proposal. Basically low to mid majors will now become like football's 1AA & no March Madness. Nice Caste System. It would work well in India,” the tenured coach mentioned in an X post.
NCAA President Charlie Baker recently sent a letter to member schools proposing increased benefits to student-athletes, some of which include sharing NIL deals with them and allowing all institutions to offer any “enhanced educational benefits they deem appropriate.” The letter also pushed for wealthier schools to be grouped into a “subdivision,” which require them to invest in a trust fund for their players.
Although the proposal lacks recognizing athletes as employees and giving them freedom to unionize, this move is intended to create progress as the NCAA faces more external pressure for reform on its business model. However, the vast amount of Division I schools and their differences in operating budgets still pose as an issue that the NCAA has yet to resolve. And Rick Pitino himself doesn't seem to agree on segregating schools based on financial capability.
As more upcoming players desire to receive income in the early stages of their careers, a division rooted in money may have repercussions in the future, particularly in the areas of recruitment and athlete transfers.
The letter doesn't include a timeline yet, as the NCAA waits for feedback from various school representatives.
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