Fan Town Hall: Triangle ADs talk money, TV, rights and rules for student-athletes

Raleigh, N.C. — In a wide-ranging discussion of rules, rights and the billions of dollars that course through college athletics, the athletic directors of Tobacco Road's top three universities – NC State’s Debbie Yow, UNC’s Bubba Cunningham and Duke’s Kevin White – had candid answers for questions from fans, from each other and from WRAL's Jeff Gravley.

The Fan Town Hall took place at WRAL Studios in Raleigh, and aired live on television, radio, on the internet and in the WRALSportsFan app.

The first question from Twitter set the tone for the night.

The win-at-all-costs culture

State's Yow answered simply, "People either have integrity or they don't."

She said an extensive list of NCAA rules makes it almost impossible for teams, players, coaches and colleges to comply with every one.

"I'm very much a proponent of deregulation," she said. "Pick the 100 that really matter and get rid of the rest."

Beer sales in the stands?

The ADs took seriously a more light-hearted question about beer sales.

White pointed to a successful pilot program that allowed alcohol sales at the ACC Baseball Championship at Durham Bulls Athletic Park this past spring.

Changing how the NCAA investigates

All three agreed that the NCAA's infractions, investigation and punishment processes would benefit from impartial, outside help.

"Peer review is OK," Cunningham said, pointing to an academic tradition. "Peer punishment is not."

White agreed. "Those decisions that have been made in some pretty significant cases have been made by peers," he said.

"I just don't think it's appropriate. It's awkward."

Yow: Less talk, more results

Yow, who has said she'll retire at the end of the 2018-19 school year, was singled out for two questions and took the high road on both. First, asked about her successor, she said it was too early to talk about that.

When offered a chance to rub it in to her fellows with a question about a Money ranking of Best Colleges, she also demurred.

"I'm not much on that," she said after a pause. "I'm not much on talking about it. I'm much more interested in doing it."

Why can't they sell shoes?

Gravley, referencing the recent suspensions of players on the UNC football team, got the trio talking about questions of paying student-athletes and the benefits they reap while on scholarship.

White pointed out that the value of an athletic scholarship and all that it entails – tuition, meals, medical support and provided gear – has risen in value over time. He said a study out of Duke's Fuqua School of Business showed that a four-year, full athletic scholarship at Duke is worth $600,000.

"Even if they don't get in a game, the university is investing a lot into each one," he said.

As the incoming chairman of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Selection Committee, White has a bigger perspective. He noted that the NCAA subsidizes a total of 480,000 student-athletes in sports nationwide.

Yow noted that college athletics help build the brand of athletes who want to go pro.

"We are their marketing arm," she said.

Ultimately, the players benefit more from association with the university, Yow said. "It's because they're wearing our jersey that they (the fans) love them."

None of the athletic directors had reconciled the idea that individual athletes should be able to cash in on their name, image or likeness, although Yow and White agreed with the principle.

"I don't know how you do it. I don't know how you do it in the locker room," White said.

Basketball, football fund the rest

Asked whether the two major revenue sports – men's basketball and football – should operate under different rules within the NCAA, Cunningham quickly said no.

"That's how we fund the rest of the enterprise," he said.

White said the U.S. is a model for countries like Ireland and China, that are looking to integrate school and sports.

Should Jimmy V. get his name on the PNC Arena court?

Yow said her hands were tied relative to a proposition that the court at PNC Arena be named after Jim Valvano, but she hinted at other ways to honor his national title, his inspirational final days and the massive impact his foundation has had in the search for a cure for cancer.

'We're all in the television business'

Finally, each of the athletic directors spoke in enthusiastic terms about the prospects for the ACC Network, set to make its debut next summer.

"The exposure for our Olympic sports will be terrific," Cunningham said.

The network will be available to residents of 11 states and more than 50 percent of the U.S. population.

Each noted plans underway to build or expand broadcast capabilities, and the hiring that is necessary to produce more hours quality video for the network.

"We're all in the television business," White said.