Former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn sounds off on reported NIL crackdown: ‘The NCAA is a joke’

FOX Sports talking head and former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn has not been one to hold back on issues surrounding college athletics, and on Tuesday, he made his thoughts known once again regarding the latest wave of name, image and likeness (NIL) news.

The NCAA Board of Directors issued new guidance on Monday night, clarifying the current regulations around NIL and prohibiting boosters from recruiting. It is effective immediately.

Quinn discussed the issue with LaVar Arrington and Jonas Knox on his Tuesday morning radio show, 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe.

“The NCAA is a joke,” Quinn said. “They know that if they try to get any of these kids, boosters or universities in trouble, there’s going to be a lawsuit. We all know NIL is not going away. Just so people understand this, name, image and likeness will be around from here moving forward for this reason: the Supreme Court of the United States of America ruled 9-0, that is a Mike Tyson first-round knockout, and you’re not getting back up from it.”

In March 2021, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for NCAA v. Alston, a complicated case that at its core deals with athlete compensation in college athletics. The nine justices ruled unanimously in favor of Alston in June, making it clear that the status quo in college athletics which had dominated for decades would no longer fly; the NCAA could not restrict education-related payments for student-athletes. It was a more narrow ruling — this court leaned conservative — but it paved the way for the entire structure to come crashing down, as Quinn said.

“The NCAA didn’t do anything about it the first time because they’re so scared of getting sued,” Quinn added. “They might (put forward) this rhetoric of what they’re going to do, but who’s going to confess to it?”

The former Irish great used an example from his alma mater, although he acknowledged it was related to his confession point rather than his statements on NIL.

PROMOTION: Sign up for just $1 for your first year at Blue & Gold

In 2016, the Division I NCAA Committee on Infractions slapped Notre Dame with an academic misconduct violation after they self-reported an issue with a trainer and a couple of football players. The NCAA said the trainer, who was employed by the university from 2009-13, “partially or wholly completed numerous academic assignments for football student-athletes in numerous courses” from 2011-13. As a result, Notre Dame was hit with a $5,000 fine and a year of probation. They had to vacate 21 wins from 2012-13, including the undefeated 2012 run to the national championship. Notre Dame appealed the vacated wins penalty. The appeal was denied.

“They received harsher penalties than with a legitimate scandal with Adidas and these basketball schools,” Quinn said. “And (Notre Dame) self-reported it … I mean, seriously?”

The NCAA has yet to dole out program-wide punishments for a 2017-18 corruption case involving Adidas, other brands, and up to seven Division I schools in its first wave: Arizona, Auburn, Louisville, Miami, Oklahoma State, South Carolina and USC. The second round of investigations is even more expansive, potentially implicating several other programs. Individuals have been penalized by the FBI, but the case remains largely open from the NCAA side.

“So I don’t know why any school, booster or player would comply with anything the NCAA is trying to figure out,” Quinn said. “How are you going to investigate this?”

To answer Quinn’s question, in theory, the NCAA can threaten a player’s eligibility. Although he is correct that investigating this issue is incredibly difficult and complicated. Regarding boosters — who are private citizens — it becomes even more murky.