The main purpose of all the old NCAA rules - the transfer rules, the rules against paying players and against allowing players to make money on their name or otherwise, etc. - was to control recruiting and to try and even the playing field. It wasn't to exploit the players - no matter what people might try to say now. Did some players get exploited anyway? Sure. Did the rules or their enforcement do a great job of creating that level playing field - probably not. The NCAA enforcement was always uneven and seemingly capricious. But, at least teams did sometimes get caught and get punished - there were guardrails and at least the threat of consequences.
And those rules created at least some team stability and the ability to build programs. Those rules created the great product we had that drove the value of the sport through the roof - leading to the arms race in coaching salaries and facilities building and the huge TV contracts. Leading to more and more public sentiment for allowing players to share in the largesse. The NCAA tried to adjust by allowing players to receive living costs stipends, etc. but it was too little, too late.
The final result of all this being the lawsuits that have gutted the ability of the NCAA to govern the sport - leading to the chaos we are suffering through now.
College basketball is essentially a victim of its own success.
And those rules created at least some team stability and the ability to build programs. Those rules created the great product we had that drove the value of the sport through the roof - leading to the arms race in coaching salaries and facilities building and the huge TV contracts. Leading to more and more public sentiment for allowing players to share in the largesse. The NCAA tried to adjust by allowing players to receive living costs stipends, etc. but it was too little, too late.
The final result of all this being the lawsuits that have gutted the ability of the NCAA to govern the sport - leading to the chaos we are suffering through now.
College basketball is essentially a victim of its own success.