An FBI probe reignited the debate over whether collegiate basketball players should be compensated. But Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman has one suggestion that could fix the issue: let top athletes go to the NBA straight out of high school.
“I think that if these top players can start earning those big dollars more quickly, that would be an instant correction,” she said Wednesday. “And that would help, as well, in the kinds of issues that were surfaced in this criminal investigation.”
Her argument echoes the sentiment of ACC Commissioner John Swofford, who on Tuesday told Cheddar there should not be a pay-for-play system in college sports.
The statements come as the federal government investigates recruiting agents and more than 20 Division I schools for giving players under-the-table bonuses or other perks, violating NCAA rules.
Some say that the NCAA, which generated more than $1 billion in revenue in the year ending in [August 31, 2017](http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2016-17NCAAFin_FinancialStatement_20180129.pdf), should pay student athletes. But Ackerman told Cheddar that players get other kinds of compensation.
“I was a student athlete at the University of Virginia. I got my education paid for, we didn’t make any money,” she said. “There’s a quid pro quo that I don’t think gets talked about enough.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-big-east-tournament-returns-to-madison-square-garden).
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, February 4, 2020.
Spots showcasing electric vehicles made up the bulk of the automotive ads that played during the three-hour and 45-minute Super Bowl championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
YouTube VP Tara Walpert Levy told Cheddar that the Big Game is still a place to capture a national audience.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, February 3, 2020.
What if I told you that you could score a Super Bowl ticket if you gave up one thing? What would it be? A kidney? Sex? Well, some fans said just that, according to a survey from Ticketmaster.
When the San Francisco 49ers face off against the Kansas City Chiefs this Super Bowl Sunday, the team's brand will be in the best position that it's been in for decades. But it's how the franchise thrives through good and bad times that defines success, 49ers CMO Alex Chang told Cheddar.
With Roku set to possibly lose Fox channel by the end of Friday, Cheddar looks into alternate ways owners can still watch the Super Bowl on Sunday.
This Sunday, the hip hop legend will appear in a Super Bowl ad spot for Cheetos that plays on the snack food’s famous messiness.
Easy Aerial CEO and co-founder Ido Gur talked to Cheddar about giving police a "bird's eye view" of the Hard Rock Stadium parking lot this Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers square off.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, January 31, 2020.
