The History of the NCAA

The NCAA has been a focal point of sport conversation and debate since its inception in the early 1900s.  The organization is polarizing, as almost all those touched by it have strong feelings about a plethora of topics that make up the college sport debate.  This notion is voiced well by the current president of West Virginia University Gordon Gee who stated in 2007, "I am an avid supporter of intercollegiate athletics.  But I believe intercollegiate athletics is in danger of losing its direction and its soul. By that I mean it has become corporatized, it has become isolated and it has become disconnected from the vitality and the values of the university." But where did the NCAA lose its direction?  When did it become corporatized? And was college sport every really linked to the values of the university?  Today we will deep dive into the history of college sports and the NCAA to try to answer these questions and more.