With March Madness around the corner and the FBI investigating benefit violations at Division I schools, the debate around whether to pay college athletes is back in the spotlight.
But ACC Commissioner John Swofford told Cheddar there’s a flaw in allowing these players to profit as they would in the pros.
“I’m not a proponent of pay-for-play,” he said during an interview Tuesday. “I think we’ve got something very special in this country, that’s unique to our country, in terms of combining education with a very high level of competitive basketball and collegiate sports. And it presents a tremendous opportunity for a lot of young people.”
Swofford’s comments come as federal authorities look into collegiate basketball players at 20 top-tier schools who were allegedly getting money and other perks under the table from recruiting agents, a violation of NCAA rules.
The conference head pointed out that it’s primarily revenue from two sports, basketball and football, that funds a broad array of athletic programs. Instead, he says, the entire system needs to be revamped.
“What we need to do in this country is provide better opportunities for those individuals who aren’t interested in going to college,” he said. “If you have that interest in going professional out of high school, I think there needs to be more opportunities to do that, without having to go directly to the NBA itself, because only very, very few players are good enough to do that.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/acc-tournament-returns-to-brooklyn).
Major League Baseball plunged into its first work stoppage in a quarter-century when the sport’s collective bargaining agreement expired and owners immediately locked out players in a move that threatens spring training and opening day.
Cheddar has been covering the biggest news of the week with some of the biggest names in the biz. In case you missed it, we've pulled together some of the highlights that will keep you informed as we get ready for the week ahead.
Michigan’s attorney general says she drank too much booze before a big football game between Michigan and Michigan State.
The NFL and lawyers for thousands of retired NFL players have reached an agreement to end race-based adjustments in dementia testing in the $1 billion settlement of concussion claims.
Elite, teen basketball players are facing more choices than ever with the NBA's developmental league and the NCAA loosening its financial compensation rules. Cheddar's Michelle Castillo reports.
Cheddar's Chloe Aiello reports from the US Open in New York City as the tournament returns to a very different landscape for players and fans.
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Michael Chernow is known as a chef, TV host, and entrepreneur, but now he's taking a break from restaurants and stepping into the world of healthy breakfast. 'Kreatures of Habit' is a new lifestyle and wellness brand with the goal of helping people establish healthy habits. Michael was able to raise 2.2 million dollars to launch the company, which was originally set out to be a café concept, but transformed during the pandemic. Michael Chernow, celebrity chef, entrepreneur, and fitness expert joins us to talk about his new venture.
