ESPN report Delta Airline bumped passengers to accommodate Florida basketball

[53n206]

Happy I wasn't bumped, but anyway. Does our team fly charters from airlines or from pvt. companies, as carries pro teams? Seem to remember a few years ago a Duke player returning from the U.K. trip saying 1st time he flew on scheduled airline--usually on a plane for NBA.

[Bluedog]

I believe Duke charters its planes from private companies...

[FerryFor50]

I saw this, too. Couldn't this technically be considered an "impermissible benefit" in the NCAA eyes?

Non-athletes wouldn't get this kind of treatment...

[Ichabod Drain]

I saw this, too. Couldn't this technically be considered an "impermissible benefit" in the NCAA eyes?

Non-athletes wouldn't get this kind of treatment...

That's not exactly how the NCAA rule works to my knowledge. The matter of regular students only comes into play if the action is deemed an extra benefit to begin with. As in it's an extra benefit for athletes to receive discounts at a local restaurant but if that same discount is offered to all students of the university then it's ok.

Seeing as Delta isn't a booster or in any way a representative of the University of Florida, it would be difficult to call this an extra benefit.

Athletes are offered all kinds of benefits the average student isn't. Those benefits are outlined as permissible by the NCAA though.

At least that's how I interpret it.

[brevity]

My only relevant experience was when I saw the Manhattan Jaspers at RDU during the NCAA tournament. I believe that was the year they beat... Florida.