A Corruption Probe Into College Hoops Exposes More Than Shady Deals

The criminal complaint unveiled in late September contained all sorts of unsavory details about college basketball’s underground economy: five-figure bribes to coaches, six-figure payouts to high school players and their families, and the alleged complicity of employees at some of the nation’s most prominent universities. The 10 defendants “allegedly exploited the hoop dreams of student-athletes around the country,” said Joon H. Kim, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. The FBI opened a tip line, and officials suggested more bombshells to come. It was a public service but not only in the ways federal investigators intended. Indeed, the lasting legacy of the probe into the corruption of college hoops may turn out to be a government-backed reminder of the hypocrisy at the heart of big-time college sports. The NCAA, which governs most intercollegiate sports in the U.S., requires that athletes maintain their amateur status in order to play. That means they can’t accept any compensation beyond an athletic scholarship and a meager cost-of-living stipend, or profit from their likeness in any way. The NCAA and the colleges where these athletes play, however, are free to cash in. And boy, do they: Under Armour is paying UCLA roughly $18.7 million per year to be its exclusive shoe and apparel sponsor; the College Football Playoff sold its broadcast rights for more than $7 billion over 12 years; while TV rights for March Madness,...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized NCAA Source Type: news