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 NFL star JJ Watt and his wife, former U.S. national team player Kealia Watt, announced they were investing in England's Burnley FC, which recently gained promotion to the Premier League. "Burnley ticked all the boxes -- the ownership, the team, the fanbase, the vision," Watt said, "And also the town, I think the town fits us well."
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier finished out his weeklong series on personal fitness with a lesson on how to get in shape by pole dancing.
The top entertainment headlines for April 28, 2023.
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Cheddar News' weeklong series on personal fitness, Shannon Shapes Up, continues with Shannon LaNier busting a move at 305 Fitness in New York City. The gym offers full-body dance cardio workouts everyday with a live DJ.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since a nearly 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related charges, the WNBA star had to take a moment to compose herself after being asked about her resiliency through the ordeal.
Pickleball Club to Open Several Indoor Facilities in Florida
After six weeks of waiting, Aaron Rodgers is leaving behind his brilliant legacy in Green Bay and heading to the bright lights — and massive expectations — of the Big Apple.
The Walt Disney Co. will be laying off several thousand employees this week, a second round of cuts that’s part of a previously announced plan to eliminate 7,000 jobs this year.
