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).
Jill and Carlo talk about the latest from Tokyo including Simone Biles plans to compete in the balance beam final, Dr. Fauci's dire Delta warning, high profile vaccine mandates from employers like Walmart and Disney, and Square's acquisition of Afterpay.
Mutaz Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy tied for the gold medal in the men’s high jump at the Tokyo Games.
Cheddar's Michelle Castillo takes a deep dive into the world of Formula E racing. The all-electric motor sport is looking forward to a more sustainable future on and off the track.
Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s arduous buildup to the Tokyo Olympics culminated on the top step of the podium. Diaz won the first Olympic gold medal for the Philippines in a triumphant result for a country that has competed at every Summer Olympics except one since 1924.
Jacoby pulled off a stunning upset in the 100-meter breaststroke, beating defending champion Lilly King. Jacoby already was the first swimmer from Alaska to make the U.S. Olympic team. Now, she's got a gold.
The Russian Olympic Committee has won the gold medal in women’s gymnastics after U.S. star Simone Biles exited with a medical issue.
Vaccine Mandates, Osaka Out & LeVar Burton Takes Jeopardy!
After a year of delays, the Tokyo Olympics is finally here.
But the growth in streaming is expected to lower broadcast viewership numbers. Still, advertisers and sponsors haven't pulled out of the popular live sporting event.
U.S. pop singer Pink has offered to pay a fine given to the Norwegian female beach handball team for wearing shorts instead of the required bikini bottoms.
The German women’s gymnastics team took the floor for their first competition at the Tokyo Olympics wearing unitards with leggings that stretched down to the ankle. That defied the custom of high-cut bikini bottoms in the sport.
