A Modest Proposal

[incrediboy]

I've had this idea kicking around in my head for years, and I'm hoping someone here has the right contacts to get this into consideration.

I think the NCAA should offer a professional basketball division (NCAA-Pro) which would be open ONLY to those who have exhausted their NCAA collegiate eligibility AND have completed a four-year degree. Former NBA players would also be eligible if and only if they had completed those requirements (sorry to the one-and-dones; this might be an incentive to a few not to go pro before completing their collegiate eligibility). 

This pro league would be played with college rules (we all know the college game is superior to the pros anyway). All players would receive the same salary plus a bonus based on minutes played. Those who play below the median number of minutes in the league could sign with another team to keep a reasonable degree of parity. If the NCAA wants to experiment with a rule, try it in the pro league first.

This allows a chance to play pro basketball to those who aren't good enough for the NBA without going overseas. It also gives us a different kind of pro league to watch. The NBA game is inferior to the college game in my opinion; besides, the foreign players have so infiltrated the league I don't recognize half the players from their college days.

I feel pretty sure the league could get a TV contract. Indiana, Kentucky and North Carolina would be natural places to locate teams. A draft that favors hometown heroes (similar to the old ABA concept) could keep guys like Christian Watford or Jordan Hulls in Indiana. 

Just an idea, but I think it's a good one.

 

[Hoosierfan2017]

It'd be an interesting concept. I think it'd be hard to avoid the league going the way of the D League, though. Idk if there would be a market for this, but having 4-year guys like Hulls or Watford playing in their college state could draw in some fans. 

[biteoftheapple]

Its a money pit

[Brass Cannon]

If the guys you want to watch still have basketball skills why wouldn't they go overseas?  I doubt this would ever get enough ratings to outbid foreign leagues.