Ethical Issues In College Sports

In the NCAA, all of the Division 1-A conferences generate a vast amount of their athletic revenue through their broadcast agreements. ABC, NBC, ESPN, FOX SPORTS, and CBS play a pivotal role in creating exposure as well as allocating funds to universities that are sponsored by them. It’s a strategic business philosophy, and one of the easiest ways to promote athletics. Why? For the most part many of the power six conferences developed a wide and a loyal fan base over a long period of time with limited television exposure. Many teams may have an unofficial count of excess of over 300,000 fans, and most of the universities rigorous task of marketing was already taken care of in the past. Now that there is a high demand of what viewers want to

see on television, as well as a variety of television networks that exist; the cake has essentially been baked. Now it is time to devise a plan to pacify the fan bases as well as other stakeholders. Over the years Athletic competition has been enhanced and creates a nationwide stir. College athletics as a whole generates more funds than any professional sports, and it breaks social barriers among people.

There are 119 universities in Division 1-A football, nearly 4 times as many professional teams in the NBA and NFL apiece. The television agreements in Professional Sports; pales in comparison to the College teams. It’s a numbers game and since there is more participation in collegiate athletics it devises endless possibilities in which broadcast companies can generate revenue. Today’s world is racially diverse, yet divided; and there are many ethical barriers that still exist. Sports are an event that brings all social groups, and classes together regardless of circumstance. At a local bar, it consist of various ethnicities eyes glued to the television screen watching Florida State capture its second consecutive National Championship. It is the only thing in which one can put their differences aside and can have the time of their life. It is an outlet and it promptly takes individuals out of reality briefly. In marketing it is imperative to consider the stake holders that are pretentious, and those are the world-wide viewers watching television. Not only the conferences are raking in a large amount of money every year, but they are also appeasing their television

audience. It is exhilarating, and many people live their lives based on what they see on television. Conferences such as the ACC, SEC, BIG 10, BIG 12, PAC 10, and BIG EAST use television to their advantage. Those conferences feel that having their product endorse through the eyes of millions on television, should benefit them. It all makes sense, and it is one of the more creative ways of marketing. The conferences are selling the success of their University in the conferences. It is a win-win situation for every school in the conference. For Example the South Eastern Conference (SEC), many viewers would rather watch powerhouses such as Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Auburn. While that can be disputed by fan bases in Vanderbilt, and Kentucky if CBS is on contract with the SEC for 10 years worth 4.6 billion dollars, then all the currency will be allocated equally among the Universities in the SEC. It is all fair games, and it zeros in specifically on each school. Universities have no power in television rights, or contracts, and that is solely on the hands of the commissioner of each Conference. Also the NCAA has restrictions on the television contracts in conference play, because the NCAA is strictly the governing body that advocates fair play in all aspects of sport. It is not the obligation for the NCAA to help generate money towards colleges that responsibility is meant for the university or the conference.