NCAA President Mark Emmert on Thursday said that the organization will "likely 'very quickly' address a rule that allowed" Univ. of Texas swimmer Joseph Schooling to "receive $740,000 from Singapore for winning a gold medal" at the Rio Games, according to Jon Solomon of CBSSPORTS.com. Schooling can keep the amount "without losing his college eligibility due to NCAA rules tied to Olympic awards." Emmert, speaking at The Aspen Institute, said, "To be perfectly honest, it's caused everybody to say, 'Oh, well that's not really what we were thinking about.' ... That's a little different than 15 grand for the silver medal for swimming for the USA. So I think it's going to stimulate a very interesting conversation." Solomon noted the USOC's Operation Gold program "rewards medalists with $25,000 for a gold, $15,000 for a silver and $10,000 for a bronze." Athletes can "receive multiple awards in Olympic years, money the NCAA allows them to keep." But in past Olympics, Schooling "wouldn't have been able to keep the $740,000 and still compete in college." That changed in '15 when, "citing fairness, the NCAA passed a rule that allows an exception for the Operation Gold program to include international athletes as well" (CBSSPORTS.com, 9/8). Aspen Institute moderator Tom Farrey said that awards to Schooling and other collegians "'doesn't disrupt college sports' economic model because it comes from outside sources." Emmert replied, "The question is whether that person is still an amateur. Because if they competed in South Africa and (got) paid $750,000 to play ball in South Africa, they would be declared a professional athlete and be not eligible for NCAA play. That's the fundamental problem." Farrey said, "Does it matter anymore?" Emmert: "It does. I think the amateur model still is very important" (USA TODAY, 9/9).
