Okay, not a new idea, but as college coaches are free to get fired and quit (buyout clauses mean nothing), most athletes on scholarship are stuck at that college unless the college releases them. This means is a coach who recruited the athlete leaves for greener pastures, the athlete has to stay. If a university is rocked by a child rapist scandal, the athlete is forced to stay.
FIU recently fired their basketball coach, Isiah Thomas, and some of the players will not be allowed to leave the university.
‘We ask that under such circumstances with our mentor being fired you to give us the freedom of choice to ‘move in another direction,”’ said the letter, which carried the signature ”FIU men’s basketball team” and was e-mailed to Rosenberg and others by DeJuan Wright, who led the Panthers in scoring this past season. ”Please help us receive our athletic ‘releases’ so that we can find a coach and program which will be a good fit in our growth.”
College athletes are big money today, bigger than any college education costs. It’s time for an overhaul of the system.