NCAA

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill:

Congrats to Duke,but I was rooting for team who had stars that are actually going to college & not just doing semester tryout for NBA.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) April 7, 2015

Duke Political Science Professor Meat Mountain Mungowitz:

Odd for Sen. McCaskill to critique Duke, w/ consistent 100% grad rate. http://t.co/aYCPi8Z9Q4 But maybe I just prefer Sens who can read
— Michael Munger (@mungowitz) April 7, 2015

 And

Over last decade Wisconsin's men's basketball GSR consistently less than Duke's GSR. So Wisconsin just exploits its players, and LONGER.
— Michael Munger (@mungowitz) April 7, 2015

Exploits?

@Spivonomist "Oh, no, we can't pay you. It's a RULE. Oh, and you won't graduate, either." DEF'ly not EE.
— Michael Munger (@mungowitz) April 7, 2015

"There is a great deal of ruin in a nation." -A. Smith

NCAA is a bit like a lottery. You get a break on tuition for a shot at the NBA. In return, the players provide an extremely valuable service to punters at highly-subsidized prices.

I'm curious though: is there an implied bait-and-switch? The decision to pursue a career in the NBA is made at a very early age. To be a pro athlete, you have to commit well before the legal age of consent. If you're not on the court day in and day out starting from elementary school, you probably won't hack it. Implied promises of fame and fortune lead kids into a rent contest.

Then again, politics is also a zero-sum rent contest. There are only 100 senators. If we seek to discourage hoop dreams, it's only reasonable to discredit the offices of state and actively shame anyone so dishonorable to seek election.

Now that's a euvoluntary exchange I can get behind.