WEATHER ALERT
NCAA board approves recommendations for Division I reform
Read full article: NCAA board approves recommendations for Division I reformAt the NCAA convention, outgoing President Mark Emmert said goodbye, incoming President Charlie Baker introduced himself and the state of college sports was declared unstable.
Emmert's advice: Next NCAA president needs 'lot of patience'
Read full article: Emmert's advice: Next NCAA president needs 'lot of patience'Outgoing NCAA President Mark Emmert had some advice for his replacement in his first public appearance since announcing in April he was stepping down after 12 years.
Senators Tuberville, Manchin working on bill to tackle NIL
Read full article: Senators Tuberville, Manchin working on bill to tackle NILSenators Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Joe Manchin of West Virginia have requested feedback from college sports leaders to be used to craft a bill to regulate how college athletes can be compensated for their names, images and likenesses.
NCAA president decries pace of basketball investigations
Read full article: NCAA president decries pace of basketball investigationsNCAA President Mark Emmert says investigations into allegations of major violations against several high-profile men’s college basketball programs have taken “way too long.”.
Emmert says NCAA efforts to reform not motivated by fear
Read full article: Emmert says NCAA efforts to reform not motivated by fearNCAA President Mark Emmert says the association’s move to restructure college sports is not being driven by fear but by the desire to seize an opportunity to tackle issues that have been building for decades.
Baylor infractions decision comes amid scrutiny of NCAA role
Read full article: Baylor infractions decision comes amid scrutiny of NCAA roleThe NCAA infractions committee decided against punishing Baylor for its mishandling of sexual assault allegations against athletes for a simple reason: Its rules don't allow it.
High court win for college athletes in compensation case
Read full article: High court win for college athletes in compensation caseThe Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in favor of athletes in the latest case in the decades-long fight over whether and how colleges can compensate their sports stars.
Conferences urge stopgap for NCAA on NIL until federal law
Read full article: Conferences urge stopgap for NCAA on NIL until federal lawSix Division I conferences are urging the NCAA to implement a stopgap measure that would allow college athletes to earn money off their fame before a federal law is passed.
In AP survey, ADs raise worries about women's college sports
Read full article: In AP survey, ADs raise worries about women's college sportsA new AP survey of athletic directors and conversations with ADs and conference commissioners during March Madness show concern about what would happen to women's college sports under proposals that would put more money in the pockets of some athletes.
Emmert promises WBCA he will work to fix 'stark' inequities
Read full article: Emmert promises WBCA he will work to fix 'stark' inequities(AP Photo/Eric Gay)SAN ANTONIO – NCAA President Mark Emmert promised the Women's Basketball Coaches Association he will work with coaches to fix the “stark difference” between the Division I men's and women's tournaments. He asked Emmert what he could do to make sure those people give women's basketball the same advantages and opportunities. “Maybe that’s what has to happen in women’s basketball?” Auriemma said. "Maybe women’s basketball has got to separate itself from the other women’s sports? Yet for the women's Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, only “NCAA Women's Basketball” was in the middle of the court.
NCAA President to meet with protesting basketball players
Read full article: NCAA President to meet with protesting basketball playersThe three players used the Twitter hashtag #NotNCAAProperty to raise awareness of what they believe are inequities in college sports two days before the men’s basketball tournament started in Indianapolis. The players had originally asked to meet with Emmert last week. The players urged him to meet with them sooner and Huma said the NCAA reached out this week to set up Thursday's meeting. The men's tournament is being held in Indianapolis, with the final two spots in the Final Four being determined Tuesday night. ___More AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and updated bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket
NCAA Board of Governors chair expresses confidence in Emmert
Read full article: NCAA Board of Governors chair expresses confidence in EmmertFILE - In this Feb. 11, 2020, file photo, NCAA President Mark Emmert testifies during a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on intercollegiate athlete compensation on Capitol Hill in Washington. AdBecause of the pandemic, the NCAA took the unprecedented step of staging both basketball tournaments in single geographic locations this year. DeGioia said Emmert has been attentive to the need for reform while negotiating the complications of the NCAA's shared governance structure. DeGioia made clear the board is with Emmert. ___More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
AP Interview: Emmert says poor communication led to inequity
Read full article: AP Interview: Emmert says poor communication led to inequity“Clearly we should have had better communication between my teams,” Emmert said in a 30-minute interview with The Associated Press on Friday. "Clearly we should have really had a better focus on a number of those details that are hardly details, but are really, really important. “We dropped the ball in San Antonio in the women’s basketball tournament,” Emmert said. Emmert said the popular nickname could be used for the women's tournament if organizers and those who support the game want it. “The mark March Madness isn’t exclusively the men’s basketball mark and it wasn’t intended in that context,” he said.
The Latest: Players seek fairness meeting with NCAA's Emmert
Read full article: The Latest: Players seek fairness meeting with NCAA's Emmert(AP Photo/Robert Franklin)The Latest on the second round of the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):___12:15 p.m. The leader of an organization that advocates for fairness in the treatment of college athletics has requested that NCAA President Mark Emmert meet via videoconference Tuesday with basketball players who launched the #NotNCAAProperty movement. Ad“It’s really important what we did, to continue to create awareness,” Bohannon said. “You saw from the women’s standpoint, a couple days ago, the women speaking out about the weight room being different. Look at Mark Emmert, he was nowhere to be found to answer any questions.
NCAA basketball players use biggest stage to deliver message
Read full article: NCAA basketball players use biggest stage to deliver messageLisa Moeller takes a photo of the NCAA bracket for the NCAA college basketball tournament on the side of the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. The National College Players Association, a college athlete advocacy group, released a statement late Wednesday that detailed the players' goals. Meanwhile, at the women's basketball tournament in San Antonio, those players were forcing the NCAA to deal with a different kind of equity issue. Attorney Tim Nevius, a former NCAA investigator, said college athletes are increasingly aware of their power to effect change. “These are warning shots,” he said, “until they’re not.”___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and updated bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket
Not NCAA Property: Players push for reform on social media
Read full article: Not NCAA Property: Players push for reform on social mediaThe National College Players Association, an advocacy group for college athletes, said in a statement Wednesday night that player from at least 15 teams competing in the men's basketball tournament tweeted in support of #NotNCAAProperty. — Meetings with state and federal lawmakers and Biden administration officials to advocate for laws that give college athletes physical, academic and financial protections. The group said it also hoping for a Supreme Court ruling in support of the plaintiffs in Alston v. NCAA. Earlier this year he was among several college athletes in Iowa to publicly back the state legislature's NIL bill. Football players from the Pac-12 threatened boycotts over concerns about COVID-19 protocols, social justice issues and economic rights for college athletes.
With NIL reform in limbo, NCAA heading toward busy June
Read full article: With NIL reform in limbo, NCAA heading toward busy JuneDespite the current gridlock, Emmert said he is still hopeful the NCAA will have uniform national NIL rules in place before the start of next football season. The ruling did not include NIL compensation. Meanwhile, the NCAA is facing pressure from dozens of states that have bills in the works related to NIL compensation for college athletes. But lawmakers in Washington have other priorities right now and aren't likely to move on any of those bills until the Supreme Court weighs in. Currently, NCAA rules require Division I football, basketball, baseball and hockey players to sit out a season after transferring to another DI school.
Emmert: NCAA still expecting to get pay issue done in '21
Read full article: Emmert: NCAA still expecting to get pay issue done in '21FILE - In this April 4, 2019, file photo, NCAA President Mark Emmert answers questions during a news conference at the Final Four college basketball tournament in Minneapolis. More importantly, all of our college athletes are profoundly disappointed and I suspect even angry. Delrahim said the NCAA’s transfer rules could also be in conflict with antitrust laws. Emmert also voiced his opposition to critics who are pushing for schools in the Power Five conferences to break away from the NCAA and govern themselves. Emmert acknowledged, without naming football and men's basketball, that some sports generate significant revenue but that the NCAA model serves the interests of the participants.
NCAA D1 Council holds off on athlete compensation, transfers
Read full article: NCAA D1 Council holds off on athlete compensation, transfers“The Council remains fully committed to modernizing Division I rules in ways that benefit all student-athletes,” said Council chairwoman M. Grace Calhoun, athletics director at Pennsylvania. Also, athletes would not be permitted to endorse products or companies such as alcohol or gambling that conflict with NCAA values. Delrahim said the NCAA’s transfer rules could also be in conflict with antitrust laws. Another factor is that the turnover in Congress could slow the process of passing federal legislation the NCAA is seeking to create uniformity in NIL rules. Six states have passed bills allowing college athletes to cash in on their names, images and likenesses.
After DOJ warning, NCAA to delay vote on compensation rules
Read full article: After DOJ warning, NCAA to delay vote on compensation rules“Ultimately, the antitrust laws demand that college athletes, like everyone else in our free market economy, benefit appropriately from competition,” Delrahim wrote. Now, the next step in a process that began almost two years will be a meeting between Emmert and NCAA lawyers and DOJ officials. College sports officials have argued it would be impossible to manage a national organization if different states have different rules. No matter what NIL rules the NCAA comes up with, lawmakers likely will have the last word. And we warrant the ability to do that.”But for now, the potentially historic change to NCAA rules is heading for indefinite hold.
Booker, Democratic lawmakers introducing NCAA reform bill
Read full article: Booker, Democratic lawmakers introducing NCAA reform billThe College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by U.S. The College Athletes Bill of Rights is sponsored by Sens. Booker and Blumenthal's bill, however, goes way beyond NIL rights for athletes and is not nearly as NCAA-friendly. Bohannon said during the pandemic college athletes, who are tested multiple times a week for COVID-19, have become essential workers. — Establish a nine-member Commission on College Athletics, appointed by the president, that would include at least five former college athletes and individuals with legal expertise.
AP Interview: Emmert says NCAA must stay open to reform
Read full article: AP Interview: Emmert says NCAA must stay open to reformFILE - In this Feb. 11, 2020, file photo, NCAA President Mark Emmert testifies during a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on intercollegiate athlete compensation on Capitol Hill in Washington. And the sporting world hasn’t collapsed,” Emmert told AP. It recommended the creation of the National College Football Association, an independent body to oversee FBS. Major college football, the commission concluded, has created inequities across all NCAA sports and hinder the association's ability to govern equitably. Emmert called the recommendation “exactly the wrong thing to do.” He told AP he agrees football has "an outsized influence” over college sports.
After NIL, next NCAA challenge is restructuring Division I
Read full article: After NIL, next NCAA challenge is restructuring Division IThe survey results went public the day before the NCAA Division I Council approved two proposals that will lift longstanding restrictions on college athletes. The survey found strong support for reforming the way Division I is governed (74%) and restructuring D-I altogether (73%). NCAA Division I is comprised of 351 schools that range from massive Power Five football schools such as Ohio State, Alabama and Texas to small private universities mostly focused on trying to access the lucrative NCAA men’s basketball tournament. She cited the conference-by-conference approach to staging this major college football season as an example of the NCAA's inability to bring leaders together to find big-picture solutions. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at https://westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
NCAA cancels fall championships as major football marches on
Read full article: NCAA cancels fall championships as major football marches onFILE - In this March 14, 2012, file photo, a player runs across the NCAA logo during practice in Pittsburgh before an NCAA tournament college basketball game. NCAA President Mark Emmert made the announcement in a video posted on Twitter, but it has been clear this was coming as conferences canceled fall sports seasons because of the coronvirus pandemic. The spring calendar already features more sports than the fall so cramming still more in, including FCS football, will create logistical challenges. Schools in conferences that have not yet canceled their fall seasons could conceivably try to stage regular-season competition over the next few months. It’s exactly the same data just being looked at in different ways.”___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Senators lay out plan for college athletes bill of rights
Read full article: Senators lay out plan for college athletes bill of rightsA group of senators led by Cory Booker of New Jersey and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut on Thursday released a plan for reforming college sports with an athletes bill or rights. The legislative plan calls for college athletes to have the ability to earn money for their names, images and likenesses with minimal restrictions, and much more. The senators also want to ensure for the athletes long-term medical coverage and treatment, enforceable medical standards, academic freedom and revenue sharing agreements. Booker and Blumenthal questioned Emmert about athlete welfare and said then their plan for a bill of rights was in the works. ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Next in summer of player empowerment: Pac-12 players unite
Read full article: Next in summer of player empowerment: Pac-12 players unite(AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)As college football leaders work to rescue a football season worth billions in revenue from the threat of COVID-19, the players have become emboldened. A group of Pac-12 players Sunday presented a list of demands on issues ranging from healthy and safety to racial justice to economic rights. The players claim more than 400 of their Pac-12 peers have been communicating through a group chat app about a possible boycott. I think its all attainable, said attorney Tim Nevius, a former NCAA investigator who has now represents college players in cases involving NCAA issues. These recent events have put a spotlight on critical issues in college sports.___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Graham on NCAA compensation rules: We’ve got to do something
Read full article: Graham on NCAA compensation rules: We’ve got to do somethingSenate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., takes his seat, Wednesday, July 22, 2020, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine protecting the integrity of college athletics, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Graham on NCAA compensation rules: We’ve got to do something
Read full article: Graham on NCAA compensation rules: We’ve got to do somethingSenate Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., takes his seat, Wednesday, July 22, 2020, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine protecting the integrity of college athletics, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The NCAA is in the process of crafting legislation to change change its rules and permit college athletes to earn money for things like endorsement and sponsorship deals, appearance fees and social media promotions. “But it's very important to note the NCAA is not seeking a broad-based antitrust exemption as some people have suggested. The NCAA wants to have some regulation of name, image and likeness compensation to prevent payments to athletes from being used as inducements in recruiting. “The (Power Five) proposals are too restrictive to benefit college athletes,” Booker said.
AP Exclusive: Power Five spend big on lobbying Congress
Read full article: AP Exclusive: Power Five spend big on lobbying CongressThe Southeastern Conference was the biggest spender, hiring three lobbying firms and paying them a total of $140,000, according to lobbying disclosure forms reviewed by The Associated Press. The Southeastern Conference was the biggest spender, hiring three lobbying firms and paying them a total of $140,000, according to lobbying disclosure forms reviewed by The Associated Press. The Big Ten paid $20,000 to the firms working for all the Power Five but did not hire its own dedicated lobbyist. The ACC and the Big 12 each spent $60,000 $40,000 on their own lobbyists and $20,000 on the Power Five firms. Both conferences had the same lobbyists last year, the first year either had spent significant money to influence members of Congress.
NCAA's Emmert: 'Our job' to solve athlete compensation
Read full article: NCAA's Emmert: 'Our job' to solve athlete compensationAll of that could be trumped by what happens in Washington when federal lawmakers step into the business of regulating college sports. — Group licensing in which athletes could earn a percentage of profits from something like the old NCAA Football video game. Calhoun said group licensing presents the most challenging questions. The California law intends to permit college athletes to enter the free market with few restrictions. The group has also partnered with the NFL Players Association in the hopes of providing group licensing opportunities to college athletes.
NCAA: 'Highly probable' Congress passes athlete comp rules
Read full article: NCAA: 'Highly probable' Congress passes athlete comp rulesNEW YORK, NY – NCAA President Mark Emmert said Wednesday it is “highly probable” Congress will set national guidelines for how college athletes can be compensated for the use of their names, images and likenesses. Last week, Sen. Chris Murphy and Sen. Mitt Romney announced the formation of a bipartisan congressional working group on the topic of athlete compensation. This is an issue bigger than an NCAA group,” Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said. A federal law would eliminate that potential problem, but the NCAA would like a say in what that looks like. Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby is part of the NIL working group.