Frank Martin: Politicians need to stay out of college athletics

No one has ever accused Frank Martin of being shy, and yesterday, the South Carolina coach did not hold back when asked about the California Fair Pay to Play law, which was will allow student-athletes in the state to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL). On the same day Senator Mitt Romney spoke out in favor of a federal bill that would bring NIL rights to the national level, Martin said politicians should stick to politics and leave college athletics to the NCAA.

“I’m not going to tell politicians how to do their job. I don’t think they should be getting themselves involved in what one or two percent of students-athletes’ maximum earning power is. They should be consumed with people that grow up like me, with making an education affordable rather than worrying about the one percent of student athletes, what they should be able to earn. Their place is to govern everybody, not that one percent. Their place is to figure out ways to make sure that me, where I come from, people like me, have a chance to get a college education.”

Martin, the son of Cuban immigrants, grew up in Little Havana, Miami and worked several jobs — including club bouncer — to pay his way through college.

“I’m not part of this new wave that has forgotten what the value of an education adds to your life. That’s very important to me. As a former teacher, as a person who gets to answer your question here in a room full of unbelievable folks everyday, I don’t get that opportunity if I’m still a bouncer and a part-time coach in Miami. What changed my life was when I was able to pay for school and get a college education. That opened a door for me that’s allowed me to succeed in life. I think politicians should be worried about that rather than getting themselves involved in college athletics for the benefit of the top one, two percent.”

Martin said he has faith the NCAA will make the changes necessary to help the sport, and that state and federal NIL legislation will only create chaos.

“You can’t just let a cat out of the bag and say hey, ‘Let’s go’ because once you do that, you’re not putting it back in,” Martin said. “To be progressive and move forward, I think those conversations have been had for a while and I think change is coming. Again, it’s not coming because some politician decided he wanted to gain some publicity in an election year to make himself look sexy.”

Agree or disagree? Also, can you imagine having Frank Martin as your math teacher?