Bracing for what could be a devastating loss in court, the NCAA yesterday announced it was exiting the business of selling college memorabilia and apparel on its website, http://www.shopncaasports.com.
The NCAA has long reaped a king’s ransom by selling player jerseys and memorabilia, even those of players or schools that had committed violations. It was hypocrisy at its worst.
“We recognize why that could be seen as hypocritical,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a conference call yesterday. “We’re going to exit that business immediately.’’
Too late.
The NCAA didn’t “realize” the hypocrisy of its actions until ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas took to Twitter on Tuesday and showed how searching for “Johnny Manziel” on the Shopncaasports website returned volumes of shirts, athletic gear and jerseys, some of which bore Manziel’s nickname, “Johnny Football.”
Manziel is under NCAA investigation for possibly receiving payment for signing autographs while attending the BCS Championship Game between Alabama and Notre Dame in January. His family has retained Texas attorney Jim Darnell, who has gone up against the NCAA before.
Darnell told USA Today he expects Manziel to start the Aggies’ season opener on Aug. 31 against Rice.
Essentially, the NCAA was making money off Manziel’s name, yet they could suspend him if they deem he made money off his own name.
“I think seeing the NCAA sell those kinds of goods is a mistake,” Emmert said. “It’s not what the NCAA is about. So we’re not going to be doing that any longer.”
That is at the crux of a 2009 lawsuit filed by former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon and others against the NCAA, Electronic Arts and College Licensing Co., which the plaintiffs are seeking to have classified as a class action.
The plaintiffs claim the NCAA used their names and likenesses without compensation. If the NCAA loses the lawsuit, it could face massive damages and its status as a non-profit institution could be revoked.
Also yesterday, the NCAA released a statement saying its online shop would phase out sales of school-related merchandise.
“In the coming days, the store’s website will be shut down temporarily and reopen in a few weeks as a marketplace for NCAA championship merchandise only,” the statement read. “After becoming aware of issues with the site, we determined the core function of the NCAA.com fan shop should not be to offer merchandise licensed by our member schools.”
As of last night, shopncaasports.com still had school-related merchandise available.
Yesterday’s announcements followed a brutal month for the NCAA, in which the commissioners of the five major conferences said they want transformative change in the compensation of student athletes and meatier enforcement.
The threat of those five leagues — ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC — potentially leaving the NCAA has sent shock waves through the nation’s college athletic departments.