Mark Emmert Defends March Madness Revenue On "Meet The Press"

NCAA President Mark Emmert today on "Meet The Press" said there is "a lot of confusion" about money generated from the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and the revenue "is not going to colleges and they're sitting on it." Host David Gregory said, "To suggest it's not a business when you're making almost a billion dollars in TV revenue, most of which comes from March Madness, strikes a lot of people as disingenuous." Emmert: "Everything that goes on in college sport is supported by the revenue that comes out of March Madness."

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called for changes in the system to improve graduation rates: "The incentive structures for coaches, the incentive structures for ADs have to be changed so much more of their compensation is based, not upon wins and losses, but around academic performance and graduation. And university presidents and boards have been very complacent and soft on this issue. And you have to really look at the leadership of the universities here" (“Meet The Press,” NBC, 3/23).