From the moment the NCAA acknowledged it had no choice other than allowing college athletes to earn income from their name, image and likeness, it has been trying to thread a needle.
How do you loosen restrictions to make the system fair for athletes, but also prevent a free-for-all that turns recruiting into a bidding war? How do you satisfy lawmakers looking to capitalize on an issue with bipartisan momentum while also controlling your own destiny as an organization?
Even on its best day, with issues much smaller than this one, the NCAA can’t make everyone happy.