NCAA's Mark Emmert Responds To Letter From MiLB's Pat O'Conner

NCAA President Mark Emmert responded to a recent letter from MiLB President Pat O'Conner that decried Emmert's testimony last week in the O'Bannon trial that minor-league sports "aren't very successful either for fan support or the fan experience." The tone in Emmert's letter was conciliatory as he sought to address O'Conner's rebuttals, calling MiLB "one of America's greatest traditions."

Emmert said his "responses at trial only were intended to suggest that our nation's college's and universities should not be used as minor league teams for professional men's basketball and football." Emmert: "We at the NCAA believe in amateurism. And I meant nothing behind that." He added MiLB games are "fun, family friendly and enjoyed by young and old alike. ... In no way did I mean to imply that they were not."