NCAA on allegations: 'If true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed'
Unsurprisingly, shortly after a Yahoo Sports article suggested several high-profile college athletes, both former and current, may have received agent payments, NCAA President Mark Emmert has responded:
"These allegations, if true, point to systematic failures that must be fixed and fixed now if we want college sports in America. Simply put, people who engage in this kind of behavior have no place in college sports. They are an affront to all those who play by the rules. Following the Southern District of New York's indictments last year, the NCAA Board of Governors and I formed the independent Commission on College Basketball, chaired by Condoleezza Rice, to provide recommendations on how to clean up the sport. With these latest allegations, it's clear this work is more important now than ever. The Board and I are completely committed to making transformational changes to the game and ensuring all involved in college basketball do so with integrity. We also will continue to cooperate with the efforts of federal prosecutors to identify and punish the unscrupulous parties seeking to exploit the system through criminal acts."
Related: Agency reportedly gave cash advances to high school, NCAA players
The report exposed several players that received money from former super-agent Andy Miller and his agency. Some players received well north of $10,000, including Dallas Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr., who was reportedly loaned $73,500.
Other named included in the documents are Toronto Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Kyle Kuzma, and Philadelphia 76ers 2017 first overall pick Markelle Fultz. Current NCAA players involved include Michigan State's Miles Bridges, Alabama's Collin Sexton, and Duke's Wendell Carter.
It's unclear if there will be any punishment for current athletes involved just a few weeks away from the NCAA tournament.