Stephen A. Smith

I mean, Big East was the place to be. That Syracuse being at another conference just doesn't feel right. And I think from a recruiting standpoint, they've been somewhat compromised in that regard as well, because you're looking at them and you're saying, this ain't the team. This ain't the program that had Dwayne Pearl Washington, the greatest show in the history of college basketball.

I'm talking about a showman. This brother could dance on anybody. OK, they had Carmelo Anthony. Back in the day, they had Billy Owens. They had Derek Coleman. They had Sherman.

I'm talking about a showman. This brother could dance on anybody. OK, they had Carmelo Anthony. Back in the day, they had Billy Owens. They had Derek Coleman. They had Sherman.

I'm talking about a showman. This brother could dance on anybody. OK, they had Carmelo Anthony. Back in the day, they had Billy Owens. They had Derek Coleman. They had Sherman.

There you go. Okay. Billy just texted me about a month ago or so. I hadn't spoken to him in years.

There you go. Okay. Billy just texted me about a month ago or so. I hadn't spoken to him in years.

There you go. Okay. Billy just texted me about a month ago or so. I hadn't spoken to him in years.

They were like, you're kidding. Everybody's coming. You see teams, you see basketball programs, they're having like 12, 13,000. You go to the Carrier Dome, 30, 40,000. 50,000 people watching a basketball game. That's what the Carrier Dome and the Syracuse program gave to you. And I think them being out of the Big East somewhat compromises their allure to some degree.

They were like, you're kidding. Everybody's coming. You see teams, you see basketball programs, they're having like 12, 13,000. You go to the Carrier Dome, 30, 40,000. 50,000 people watching a basketball game. That's what the Carrier Dome and the Syracuse program gave to you. And I think them being out of the Big East somewhat compromises their allure to some degree.

They were like, you're kidding. Everybody's coming. You see teams, you see basketball programs, they're having like 12, 13,000. You go to the Carrier Dome, 30, 40,000. 50,000 people watching a basketball game. That's what the Carrier Dome and the Syracuse program gave to you. And I think them being out of the Big East somewhat compromises their allure to some degree.

It's just my opinion, but I think it's an educated one.

It's just my opinion, but I think it's an educated one.

It's just my opinion, but I think it's an educated one.

That's a valid point. That's a valid point. And it was the hypocrisy of the NCAA. And they sort of compromised college sports where it's harmed, particularly the sport of college basketball at this particular moment in time. Here, certainly, guys were getting paid back in the day or whatever. But you're talking about you having a star player. And you know what?

That's a valid point. That's a valid point. And it was the hypocrisy of the NCAA. And they sort of compromised college sports where it's harmed, particularly the sport of college basketball at this particular moment in time. Here, certainly, guys were getting paid back in the day or whatever. But you're talking about you having a star player. And you know what?

That's a valid point. That's a valid point. And it was the hypocrisy of the NCAA. And they sort of compromised college sports where it's harmed, particularly the sport of college basketball at this particular moment in time. Here, certainly, guys were getting paid back in the day or whatever. But you're talking about you having a star player. And you know what?

He couldn't go home and get some money to go home to see his family for the holidays when you know he couldn't afford it. Or he could go in a bookstore and there's jerseys in his name or whatever. And if somebody gave him a free jersey, it was an NCAA violation, even though he's generating millions of dollars for the program. This is the ridiculousness and the hypocrisy of the NCAA.

He couldn't go home and get some money to go home to see his family for the holidays when you know he couldn't afford it. Or he could go in a bookstore and there's jerseys in his name or whatever. And if somebody gave him a free jersey, it was an NCAA violation, even though he's generating millions of dollars for the program. This is the ridiculousness and the hypocrisy of the NCAA.

He couldn't go home and get some money to go home to see his family for the holidays when you know he couldn't afford it. Or he could go in a bookstore and there's jerseys in his name or whatever. And if somebody gave him a free jersey, it was an NCAA violation, even though he's generating millions of dollars for the program. This is the ridiculousness and the hypocrisy of the NCAA.

that reigned supreme for many, many years. So now that their comeuppance has arrived, when we're talking about NIL, when we're talking about the trade portal, when we're talking about players being paid, when we're talking about agents being involved where coaches feel embezzled, for crying out loud, by these agents and stuff like that,