The year 2020 was rough on people and businesses alike when it comes to money and dealing with everything involved. COVID-19 impacted the sports world in many negatives ways including the cancelation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament. The NCAA’s revenue for the year dropped by over 50 percent according to finical reports. Despite that, a report came out on Tuesday that NCAA President Mark Emmert made $2.9 million dollars for the year. While the NCAA brings in considerably more than this it brings up questions about how the NCAA prioritizes spending.
The NCAA spent $68 million on legal counsel in the 2019-20 fiscal year. Ten of its employees made more than $500,000, with Pres. Mark Emmert topping that list with $2.9 million. https://t.co/YCzCWvI0My
— Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) July 19, 2021
The NCAA also spent millions of dollars in legal fees despite the massive 2020 revenue drop. This money was largely spent on fighting and lobbying against the NIL bills that they have since lost the battle on. Mark Emmert and other top NCAA officials all reported marginal salary increases during this period as well. The NCAA president also recently told reporters that it was time for the NCAA to “take a step back” and focus on a more “decentralized structure”. This statement begs a question. If that is the case then why does the top of the organization make so much money still?
The NCAA is an organization that for decades not only made money off of unpaid athletes but also refused to allow them to even profit off their own names. After years of fighting change, the NCAA has finally seen the writing on the wall, but much more needs to be addressed. Does Mark Emmert deserve almost three million dollars during a year where revenue was down a massive amount? I’m not here to answer that question, but the optics alone don’t look great for the NCAA or its president.
