New details emerge in college basketball corruption scandal

New details of payments to athletes in a federal investigation that has lurked in the shadows since first rocking college basketball last fall mark the latest threat to the sport’s basic foundation, showing the breadth of alleged corruption.

Bank records and other expense reports that are part of the investigation list a wide range of impermissible payments from agents to at least two dozen players or their relatives, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports.

The depth of the violations raises questions about the structure of college athletics, a business funded primarily through college football and basketball, including $19.6 billion in TV money for the NCAA Tournament over the past 22 years a hoops extravaganza American sports fans know as March Madness.

NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement Friday the allegations “if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America.”

Yahoo said Friday that the documents obtained in discovery during the investigation link current players including Michigan State’s Miles Bridges, Duke’s Wendell Carter and Alabama’s Collin Sexton to potential benefits that would be violations of NCAA rules.

Michigan State and Duke officials said Friday they didn’t believe their players did anything wrong, and Alabama coach Avery Johnson said Sexton, who was held out of the season opener for violating NCAA rules, will play Saturday against Arkansas.

MLB

RUNNER ON SECOND FOR EXTRAINNINGSINSPRINGTRAININGISANOGO» A proposal collapsed that would have put a runner on second base to start the 10th inning of spring training games, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The players’ association refused to sign the spring-training deal Wednesday, the person added. Major league spring training games started Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday.

Management thinks the union backed off because players were upset Commissioner Rob Manfred described new pace-of-game rules that apply to the regular season as an agreement, the person said.

The union makes the distinction it did not agree to the rules but instead will not challenge MLB’s decision to unilaterally impose them. The new rules include a general limit of six mound visits without a pitching change by managers, coaches and players.

Union head Tony Clark said in an email to the AP that “to suggest that this didn’t get done based on recent commentary alone is grossly misleading.”