There was no shortage of storylines in college athletics this year, with some involving repercussions that could affect the space for generations to come. Here are some of the stories that caught our eye in '17.
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Pitino and Louisville AD Tom Jurich were
ousted following the scandal |
FULL COURT PRESS: The FBI’s corruption investigation into college basketball laid the sport bare. College hoops had run amok, with schools and apparel providers like Adidas paying recruits to get them to sign, as well as bribes paid to assistant coaches. So what does it take to win at the sport’s highest level? Well, just ask Rick Pitino and Tom Jurich, who were ousted at Louisville. But the implications of the FBI’s findings go beyond a few firings at individual schools, including how the NCAA let this happen. Mark Emmert has demanded answers, with the creation of the College Basketball Commission tasked with finding them. The group will release its recommendations in April. College basketball knows it has a problem. Will it find a solution?
FORWARD MOVEMENT: On a brighter note, several women were hired to lead big-time athletic departments in ‘17. Among the handful of women hired as ADs this year were Heather Lyke (Pitt), Desiree Reed-Francois (UNLV), and Carla Williams (Virginia), who is set to become the first female African-American AD at a Power Five school. Five women now lead athletic departments at a Power Five school, with the ACC leading the way with three. The college industry for years has been bemoaned for its lack of diversity among ADs, but count ’17 as another year of positive momentum for women in college athletics.
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