Crimson Red Sports

In a city that bills itself as the amateur athletics capital of the world, there was surprisingly little talk about, well, the actual athletics.

Two days after the national championship game, nobody brought up the greatness of Alabama's defense or the ineptitude of LSU's offense. There was a notable lack of discussion about Illinois upsetting Ohio State in basketball or any heated debate about if this really is Northwestern's year in the Indianapolis Convention Center.

No, the talk at the annual NCAA convention, which started Tuesday and runs through Saturday, is of multi-year scholarships, cost of living stipends, student-athletes and rules compliance. After a year that ranks among the organization's worst in its 102 year history, it is a time to focus on the issues at hand.