The NCAA is an organization that many coaches, fans, and players alike have an opinion about. Generally, that opinion tends to be negative towards the NCAA and for good reason. The NCAA has a tendency to either be far too harsh in punishment or allow people to get away with very little disciplinary action. Lately the biggest concern is whether college athletes should be paid or not, but the real issue that should be brought to everyone’s attention is the fact that the NCAA owns a player’s name.

When a student athlete commits to a school from the time he’s a freshman up to the time he either graduates or leaves the school, his name is owned by the NCAA. Joel Bauman is a wrestler at the University of Minnesota who happens to also be a musician. When he sold one of his songs the NCAA made the decision to strip him of his scholarship because he made money under his real name. Why should The NCAA have the right to interfere with someone making money unrelated to their sport?

Another athlete who has been under scrutiny for getting paid for his name is Johnny Manziel. After allegedly getting paid for signing autographs, the NCAA is investigating Manziel and looking to take action. If Manziel truly did do this, I see no problem in him making money from his name.

The ownership of an athlete’s name by the NCAA needs to stop. It is ridiculous to think someone can’t make a dollar with their own name, especially if it is unrelated to their sport or school. The NCAA is hyprocitical in the fact that they have made profit off of jersey sales with these players’ names in the past. But the NCAA truly does care about the education of their athletes. They have said many times it should be about the game and education not about money. That hasn’t stopped the NCAA’s top executives from making six million dollars off these players’ names.