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).
Former NBA commissioner David Stern, who died on New Year's Day, carved out his professional legacy by turning the league, and the sport of basketball, into a massive commercial success. But the hard-nosed executive also left behind lasting social impact with the decisions he made over the course of his three-decade tenure at the top, remembers David Levy, former president of the Brooklyn Nets and a friend of Stern.
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said the company was looking to achieve three objectives: acquire SBTech, raise capital to fund launching in new states for sports betting, and go public.
A look back on the decade.
Professional hockey has recently been facing difficult questions about diversity and the treatment of its players. Commissioner Gary Bettman talked to Cheddar about the work the NHL is doing to reverse its problems.
Michelle McKenna, the NFL's first chief information officer, joined Cheddar to discuss sports, technology, and breaking glass ceilings in male-dominated industries.
Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman's VC, Thirty Five Ventures, has joined the strategic advisory board of cannabis-focused venture capital firm Canopy Rivers.
Jerry Jones and his storied football franchise, the Dallas Cowboys, are giving to the needy through the Salvation Army over the holidays, and hoping the team gets going in its traditional Thanksgiving Day game.
Sam's Club partnered with Allyson Felix and Usain Bolt to promote its updated proprietary technology "Scan and Go" that lets shoppers keep track of items they want to purchase and skip the checkout line.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, November 27, 2019.
J. Michael Prince, U.S. Polo Assn. CEO, told Cheddar that the brand is behind on growing in the e-commerce space, but have plans to change that.
