NCAA President Mark Emmert yesterday announced that he “would hold a two-day retreat with about 50 school presidents or chancellors to discuss the future of Division I sports,” according to Michael Marot of the AP. Among topics on the agenda for the Aug. 9-10 meeting are “how to maintain the governing body's policy on amateurism, a definition that allows schools to restrict how athletes are compensated for playing sports.” But that is "not all Emmert wants to talk about." Emmert said, "How do we look at issues around the integrity of the collegiate model? Is there a sense that we need stronger investigative tools? Is there a sense that we need a more understood and more comprehensive penalty structure?" Marot noted it is the “pay-for-play issue that will certainly get the most attention.” It has been "debated publicly for decades, and has gained fresh traction in the wake of high-profile infractions." The “ramifications have been felt at some of the nation's most prominent programs.” Purdue men's basketball coach Matt Painter “does not believe the solution is simply giving athletes cash.” Painter: "I don't want to lose the amateurism. They are getting their education paid for and a lot of people say that's what the NBA is for. If you want to get paid, go to the NBA." To Emmert, the pay-for-play topic “is just one part of the retreat.” He “wants university leaders to discuss how the governing body can continue its push to hold athletes to better academic standards, what can be done to help improve the behavior of athletes, protecting the integrity of college sports and the fiscal sustainability of athletic departments that routinely spend tens of millions of dollars to fund sports” (AP, 6/13).
