NCAA to form commission in response to bribery scheme

The NCAA said it will form a commission to study the inner workings of college basketball in response a federal investigation into bribery and fraud that rocked the sport and implicated several assistant coaches.

The NCAA announced the commission Wednesday and said former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will lead the committee.

“We need to do right by student-athletes,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement. “I believe we can — and we must — find a way to protect the integrity of college sports by addressing both sides of the coin: fairness and opportunity for college athletes, coupled with the enforcement capability to hold accountable those who undermine the standards of our community.”

Emmert said the NCAA needs to quickly make “substantive changes” in the way it operates. He said the changes will focus on the relationships between the NCAA, schools, athletes and coaches with outside entities like shoe companies, agents and financial managers.