Does College Football Need Roger Goodell?

After reading about the suspension of Oregon Heisman Trophy contending quarterback,  Jeremiah Masoli, I started thinking about the increase in these types of incidents in college football over the last few years. And it is starting to appear that the NCAA has a problem and better get a handle on it now.A few years ago, we in the South who follow college football (remember I’m a Georgia Bulldog) used to joke about FSU and call them the “Criminoles”.  Well now the problem has really spread.  And if you don’t believe me just Google it and see how many stories come up about college football players arrested.  One of the more successful programs, the Florida Gators, has had 22 football players arrested since Urban Meyer became head coach.

A short while ago, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had had enough of this kind of stuff in the NFL and took aggressive action to get the players to clean up their act or face the consequences.   And so far the results are encouraging.

Now this young man at Oregon has taken the chance of ruining his future.  He would have been a leading contender for the Heisman Trophy and his team would have been almost a shoo in for Pac 10 champs and a BCS game.  But he not only committed the crime, but lied about it to his coach and to the police.

It will be tougher for the NCAA to attempt to do what Goodell did.  Many more organizations to deal with and a much tougher situation to police.  But I believe that they better get on it now before it gets worse.  Because it will get worse if they don’t.  There is too much money at stake for coaches and football programs to be able to do it themselves.

Roger, are you available?