College Sports Needs Fixing, Here's What I'd Do

Columnist Nick Canepa proposes sweeping changes to address the chaos in college athletics

Apr. 11, 2026 at 10:19pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a college basketball game or tournament, with the action broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes in a palette of deep blues, greens, and reds, conveying the complexity and chaos of the current state of collegiate athletics.Canepa's vision for reforming the chaotic state of college sports calls for a radical rethinking of the system, deconstructing the game into its core geometric elements.San Diego Today

Veteran sports columnist Nick Canepa argues that college sports have spiraled out of control and proposes a series of reforms to fix the system, including capping player spending, allowing one transfer without penalty, eliminating conference tournaments, and preventing players who have gone pro from returning to college teams.

Why it matters

Canepa's suggestions come as college sports face growing scrutiny over issues like athlete compensation, transfer rules, and the overall commercialization of collegiate athletics. His ideas aim to restore balance and integrity to the college sports landscape.

The details

Canepa's proposed reforms include: instituting a spending cap on college athletics programs, allowing players one transfer without penalty (but sitting out a year for any additional transfers), eliminating conference tournaments, and preventing players who have gone pro from returning to college teams. He argues these changes would help rein in the chaos and excesses that have crept into college sports in recent years.

  • Canepa's column was published on April 11, 2026.

The players

Nick Canepa

A veteran sports columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune who has covered college and professional sports for decades.

President

The current President of the United States, who has become involved in trying to address the issues facing college sports.

NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association, the governing body of college sports that has proposed a plan to limit athlete eligibility to five years.

Dan Hurley

The head basketball coach of the University of Connecticut, whose team made the 2026 NCAA men's basketball championship game.

Geno Auriemma

The legendary head coach of the University of Connecticut women's basketball team, who apologized for an outburst following a loss.

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What they’re saying

“If I were college football czar (which is desperately needed now that athletes are openly being paid), I would move quickly on the journey.”

— Nick Canepa, Sports Columnist

“There are currently around 3,000 players in the college basketball portal, or about half the athletes available. That just doesn't seem right.”

— Nick Canepa, Sports Columnist

“The NCAA makes a billion dollars out of March Madness. So it's time to get the Final Four out of large football stadiums. They affect play — and not in a positive way.”

— Nick Canepa, Sports Columnist

What’s next

The NCAA's proposed plan to limit athlete eligibility to five years is expected to be adopted soon, though it may face anti-trust scrutiny. Canepa's more sweeping reforms would likely require significant changes to NCAA rules and policies, as well as potential federal intervention.

The takeaway

Canepa's ideas highlight the growing consensus that major reforms are needed to address the systemic issues plaguing college sports, from athlete compensation to the overall commercialization of collegiate athletics. His proposals aim to restore balance and integrity to a system that has become increasingly chaotic and out of control.