NCAA braces for commission findings
College basketball played an entire season amid a federal corruption investigation that magnified long-simmering troubles within the sport, from shady agent dealings to concerns over athletes who’d rather go straight to the pros.
Now it’s time to hear new ideas on how to fix the complex, wide-ranging problems.
This morning, the commission headed by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will present its proposed reforms to university presidents of the NCAA Board of Governors and the Division I Board of Directors at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. And that starts what could be a complicated process in getting changes adopted and implemented for next season.
“I expect the proposals will be strong,” NCAA president Mark Emmert told The Associated Press. “They’ll certainly break with the status quo. That’s their charge and their mission. That’s what we need.
“I think it’s going to be a very good day for college sports,” he said.
That would be welcome, considering there has been no shortage of bad days in recent months.
The Commission on College Basketball formed in October, a few weeks after federal prosecutors announced they had charged 10 men — including assistant coaches at Arizona, Auburn, USC and Oklahoma State along with a top Adidas executive — in a fraud and bribery scandal.
The case involves hundreds of thousands of dollars in alleged bribes and kickbacks designed to influence recruits on choosing a school, agent or apparel company. And it has entangled schools such as Kansas, North Carolina State, Louisville and Miami, among others, though prosecutors withdrew a criminal complaint in February against one of the defendants, a youth hoops program director.
Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford said that case has put college sports in the position of reacting instead of proactively heading off yet-to emerge problems.
“Sometimes unfortunately that’s what it takes,” Swofford said. “You’d like to think that collectively the basketball world could’ve seen this coming and had the foresight to get out ahead of it. But that’s not reality. Organizations and people, we all sometimes need wake-up calls.”
ODDS AND ENDS
NBA: Russell Westbrook has been fined $10,000 and assessed a postgame technical foul for initiating a confrontation with Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert on Monday. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard came onto the court as a substitution following a stoppage with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 113-96 Game 4 loss to the Jazz. He intervened in an incident between Gobert and Oklahoma City backup point guard Raymond Felton.
College football: North Carolina will add Ohio State transfer Antonio Williams to its backfield. The school announced that the running back is transferring with two years of eligibility remaining after he sits out this fall due to NCAA rules. He played in 12 games last year for the Buckeyes and 13 for his career, rushing 63 times for 318 yards and three touchdowns.
NHL: Buffalo signed Victor Olofsson to a two-year contract after he scored a Swedish Hockey League-leading 27 goals last season. Olofsson was selected by the Sabres in the seventh round of the 2014 draft.
Cycling: Michael Matthews of Australia won the opening Tour of Romandie prologue in Switzerland for his first victory of the season.