The FBI probe into corruption in college basketball that has exposed a dark underbelly within the sport of paying players and bribing athletes has resulted in a call for sweeping changes to the NCAA's amateurism model. But NCAA president Mark Emmert said this week that paying players isn't likely among changes that might be made.
"I haven't heard any universities say that they want to change amateurism to move into a model where student-athletes are paid by universities and universities are negotiating with agents for their relationships with a school," Emmert said. "I would be surprised if the commission came forward with that kind of recommendation."
After the FBI arrested 10 individuals in total in connection with their nefarious activities within the sport, Emmert formed a commission on college basketball to study ways to reform the sport. Momentum to change the model to allow athletes to be paid or, at the very least, acquire representation, has picked up steam as of late.
But while the proposed resolutions may never be implemented, Emmert has been clear all along that the commission is aiming to make serious reform -- and ahead of next season.
"Yes, we've got these very serious issues which require serious change and they erode people's belief in the integrity of all college sports," Emmert said. "That's a very serious problem and that's got to be addressed and we're doing that right now and I'm really optimistic that before basketball season next year we're going to have really meaningful change that makes this circumstance, if not completely go away, dramatically better than the problems that exist today."
