An FBI probe reignited the debate over whether collegiate basketball players should be compensated. But Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman has one suggestion that could fix the issue: let top athletes go to the NBA straight out of high school. “I think that if these top players can start earning those big dollars more quickly, that would be an instant correction,” she said Wednesday. “And that would help, as well, in the kinds of issues that were surfaced in this criminal investigation.” Her argument echoes the sentiment of ACC Commissioner John Swofford, who on Tuesday told Cheddar there should not be a pay-for-play system in college sports. The statements come as the federal government investigates recruiting agents and more than 20 Division I schools for giving players under-the-table bonuses or other perks, violating NCAA rules. Some say that the NCAA, which generated more than $1 billion in revenue in the year ending in [August 31, 2017](http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2016-17NCAAFin_FinancialStatement_20180129.pdf), should pay student athletes. But Ackerman told Cheddar that players get other kinds of compensation. “I was a student athlete at the University of Virginia. I got my education paid for, we didn’t make any money,” she said. “There’s a quid pro quo that I don’t think gets talked about enough.” For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-big-east-tournament-returns-to-madison-square-garden).

Share:
More In Sports
Possible Omicron Superspreader, Shutdown Averted & Love, Hate, Ate
It's Friday at long last. Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, including a possible superspreader event in NYC. Plus, previewing the November jobs report, a new Zoom feature no one asked for, and when it's no longer a good idea to eat Thanksgiving leftovers.
Cheddar Bets: Best Plays for Conference Championship Weekend and Week 13 of NFL Action
Michael Jenkins, host of 'The Daily Tip' provides his best plays for Week 13 of the NFL season, Amanda Casey Vance of Bookies.com breaks down this weekend's conference championship slate and makes her pick for which teams will make the Playoff, and VSIN's Amal Shah makes sense of what has been a very unpredictable NFL season thus far. Sponsored by BetMGM
Navigating the NFL's Chaos
Amal Shah, host of VSin's 'Odds On', joins Cheddar Bets to break down his favorite dark horse teams in each conference and how to be successful when live betting. Sponsored by BetMGM
Betting a Murky NFL MVP Race
Host of 'The Daily Tip' Michael Jenkins joins Cheddar Bets to break down the biggest NFL games of Week 13. Sponsored by BetMGM
Omicron Spread, School Shooting & Cuomo Suspended
Jill and Carlo cover the latest on Omicron, another school shooting in America and more. Plus, bidding farewell to 'transitory' inflation, and the controversy surrounding 'Lovely Bones' author Alice Sebold.
Clock Ticking for MLB to Avoid Work Stoppage
Major League Baseball and its players' union remain at odds over a new collective bargaining agreement, and if a deal isn't reached by 11:59 P.M. eastern time Wednesday, the league will experience its first work stoppage in more than two decades. Ryan Fagan, Senior MLB Writer at The Sporting News, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses the impact of such an event on both teams and players across baseball.
Load More