Fouling in Business and College Athletics

Fouling in Business and College Athleticsby GFA Consulting Inc. and Gonzalo FernandezGFA Consulting Inc. book review by Jordana Landsman"While the egregious history of 'fouling' in business resulted in eventual actions by Congress... it remains to be seen whether 'fouling' in college athletics will illicit the same results."During the decades of his distinguished business and accounting career, Fernandez noticed parallels between shady activities in corporate America and college athletics. He believes legal and ethical violations in both these big-money industries should be subject to revelation and reform. In this persuasive and well-researched discussion, Fernandez makes his case methodically, focusing first on corrupt practices in the business world and following with his perspective on abuses and inequities he perceives in college sports. In the business world, he notes positive progress, as misleading and unlawful accounting practices from prior decades have been addressed by tighter regulations. In college sports, however, Fernandez posits that abuses continue, with little collective will and no clear, respected oversight body poised to make effective near-term changes. Particularly disturbing to Fernandez is the inequity he perceives in a college sports system that earns billions in broadcasting fees for games played by college athletes who are prohibited from receiving compensation. Coaches, universities, and broadcasters are enriched by the sponsorship fees and advertising, yet the students who are wearing the logos and playing the games go unpaid. This sustained and complex dialogue over the unpaid status of college athletes hardly begins or ends with this discussion, and the book's position might have been enhanced by addressing and debunking the arguments from those who believe the integrity of sports and indeed the young athletes themselves are best protected under the current system... Note from the author after the book was published: The NCAA president and Board of Governors appointed a working group to examine issues highlighted in recently proposed federal and state legislation related to student-athlete name, image and likeness, but the group's work will not result in paying students as employeesFernandez advocate in his book pay-for-play, and recommends a method to calculate compensation for playing time for basketball and football players