With the recent rash of violations committed by college football programs, the NCAA seriously needs to step back and rethink its stance on collegiate athletics, and the amateur status of their athletes.

Perhaps the most outlandish of these infractions was the one committed by Dez Bryant last year when he was talking to Deion Sanders about his NFL future.

While I can understand the reason that the NCAA doesn’t want its athletes talking to professional athletes, what I can’t understand is why they are punished for seeking guidance on their opportunity in the NFL, and what lies in the future for them if they forego their last seasons of college football.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle facing the programs is the fact that the agents that work with professional athletes are constantly looking for ways to update their client list, and for many this means to seek college athletes to turn them pro.

Nic Saban said it best when he said, “If an agent is caught having interacted with a college player before he announces he is going pro, their license should be revoked.”

I completely agree, far too long have college athletes been the ones that are punished for accepting gifts from agents, or boosters and the latter part escapes free and clean.

The second problem with the way that the NCAA sees fit to do business is that they make millions upon millions of dollars off the blood, sweat and tears of these athletes.

Most see that this is just the nature of the business, kids that are enrolled in school full time, with the NCAA telling them how much they can work, and what times that they can work isn’t going to turn down a $500 gift, or free clothes.

The solution to this would be for the conferences to have to return a percentage of the funds that is generated from the TV contracts, and the merchandise sales to the programs.

From there, the money would be divided between the players — not just the football team, but university-wide, to pay for the players to have a stipend.

Then, the rest of the money could be used to pay for travel, uniforms, and other expenses occurred through the year.

With UNC, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina all allegedly in trouble for violations involving players attending an agent’s party, the best way to nip this problem in the bud is to pay your players a small stipend.

Not a million dollars, but enough to live off of.

I love college sports; I love to watch amateur athletes compete on the field.

What I do not love is when a program gets into trouble for players taking a vacation that wasn’t paid for by them, attracting the heavy hand of the NCAA.

Then again, if you are friends with an athlete and take them out to lunch for their birthday and they don’t pay, it is eyed as an inappropriate gift.

Overkill? Not as far as the NCAA is concerned.

The best bet that you can make if you are a student athlete is to stay in your dorm, and shut everyone off from the outside world.

God forbid someone offers you a piece of candy. You never know who is watching or listening.

Contact Sports Reporter Travis Anderson at 997-3111 ext. 44 or via e-mail at tanderson@yourdailyjournal.com.