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).
The Tennessee Titans have suspended in-person activities through Friday after the NFL says three Titans players and five other personnel tested positive for the coronavirus.
Less than five weeks after the conference announced it would push football and other fall sports to spring because of the pandemic, the conference changed course.
Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons owner and Home Depot co-founder, joined Cheddar to discuss business values beyond making a profit and the NFL's stance on racial inequality issues today.
The 2020 men's tennis U.S. Open champion, Dominic Thiem, joined Cheddar to discuss his very first Grand Slam title victory. Thiem made history as the first man to come back from two sets down to win at the U.S. Open.
Lou Harris, the founding member of Black Surfing Association Rockaway, offer free surfing lessons to all kids to teach them how to love the water. The national non-profit was founded in California in 1975 to introduce surfing to more African Americans.
Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive vice president of club business and league events, talked to Cheddar about the league's new approach to racial inequality issues this year.
The University of Maryland's head football coach, Mike Locksley, joined Cheddar to discuss a new initiative he started, aimed at getting minority coaches elevated to the next level in their careers. The National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches is backed by current and former coaches as well as executives.
Actress and director, Eva Longoria joined Cheddar to discuss her role in establishing the the NWSL's newest team, Angel City as she fights for equal pay in the sport. Longoria also discusses her experience hosting night one of the Democratic National Convention.
Anti-gun violence activist, Manny Oliver, joined Cheddar to discuss an initiative he started following the death of his son, Joaquin, in the Parkland massacre.
Matt Kalish, president of sports betting company DraftKings, talked to Cheddar about NBA legend Michael Jordan joining as an adviser to the company's board.
