It’s very sad to say that journalists, people who work in college athletcs, even fans for that matter, are not surprised by the unveiling of a confession from former agent Josh Luchs that he gave money to players during a six-year span from 1990-96.

I am sorry, but the entire nation has become desensitized by the concept of agents and boosters permeating campuses across the country, that we can only nod our heads in acknowledgement, as well as shake our heads in disgust.

So Luchs gave us a trip down the yellow brick road of controversy, brought us to the Emerald City, and it didn’t even take a dog to pull the curtain away for us to unveil the true mastermind behind the agent and booster market. Luchs is simply the one with all the gadgets and gizmos like the Wizard had in the Wizard of Oz.

Except there is a place like home, and thats the home coaches offer for prospective recruits when they hand out scholarships to top-tier recruits like George Bush was handing out stimulus checks. Who’s playing the market now?

If anything Luchs simply gave the priest of America a confession about his wrongdoings. And so if he gives the Lord seven hail mary’s is he now forgiven? Possibly, considering that Luchs makes the NCAA look bad, as if the NCAA hasn’t been naive about the whole situation for decades.

However less alarming it might be for us desensitized fans and journalists, it did do some good. We went from suspecting something, vaguely believing something to be occurring, to hearing a real story.

The cat went right out of the bag. The illegal player marketing scheme has been unveiled by someone in on the game himself.

If this is what it takes for the NCAA to leave a state of blissful ignorance, this is quite disturbing on so many levels.

Viruses are tough to stop, and the rule-breaking virus of collegiate sports is spreading like wildfire.

What the NCAA must do now is bring in the defenses. A group that is much stronger than human helper-T cells, and one that can destroy it, not simply make it go away.

According Rand Getlin of Synrgy Sports, a company that helps educate college athletes on their professional futures and an agent watchdog, believes that Luchs’ coming-out party is monumental.

“This is unprecedented,” said Getlin. “The impact of Luchs coming out now, when coupled with the the intense focus on agent issues throughout college athletics right now, won’t be fully realized until much further down the line. Suffice it say, it’s nothing short of monumental. No longer can anyone in a position of power stand in front of the cameras and act as if the issue is isolated to one school or another, or that it is any less pervasive than what has been exposed…”

My recommendation: each athletic department should hire a committee whose sole purpose is to be a watchdog of the players and coaches. They act as enforcers of the law, and teach players about the seriousness of receiving benefits from boosters and agents. Because what it comes down to is being educated and staying well informed.

If watching the players and coaching staff like the Big Brother is what it takes, so be it. Obviously a precedent has not been set by the NCAA or athletic department. So you cut scholarships, rescind games that had ineligible players, ban postseason play. Little slaps on the wrist don’t solve the problem. You still find coaches and players participating in the scheme.

Athletic departments and the NCAA have failed to set any precedence on the matter and have let this go on for too long. There’s somebody to blame on every level–the NCAA Infractions Committee, the NFL Player’s Association, agents, universities, athletic departments, coaches, even down to the players.

With the curtain unveiled and the problem fragmented, is it too late to fix? It really might too late. Like the stages of cancer, the later you catch it, the lower probability of stopping the spread of it. If we were to compare this epidemic to HIV, its an AIDS virus now.

We might not be able to stop it. However, with enough policing and watching these athletic departments, composed of players coaches and administrative personnel, we might be able to put it in remission.

But as for now, Luchs simply stated the obvious. A real agent, telling a real story, about a real problem in college sports.