Defending the NCAA

ESPN.com
The Sporting Life with Jeremy Schaap (Friday, 10 p.m., ESPN Radio)
This profile of NCAA President Mark Emmert looks at the 58-year-old former University of Washington president and political science professor, the issues facing the NCAA, and his personal campaign to improve its image. One issue examined is the paying of student athletes. Tom Farrey reports.

"People believe that every university plays sports because they make money at it. Well, 14 schools out of the 1,100 last year actually had positive cash flow out of intercollegiate athletics. It's anything but a money-making proposition for universities and colleges." -- Mark Emmert, NCAA president

"I personally think that it's the greatest injustice in American sports, that we have these people that everyone loves to watch on TV and in person, and that we adore them and adulate them, but we do not let them benefit from all of the money that they generate in any way near the way that we would if there was a market system in place." -- Andrew Schwarz, anti-trust economist

"I can only imagine what it must feel like to look up there and see thousands of people wearing your jersey, and you're realizing, 'Well, that's nice, but you know what? My mom still needs a ride to work.' The NCAA can attempt for as long as it manages to hold the line here, but I think at some point there's just going to be too much pressure. I think even NCAA leaders are going to say, 'How many zeroes do we have this time around for this tournament? Did you say billion with a B?' And, 'Can we in good conscience continue to do this?'" -- Mike Gilleran, sports law professor and former West Coast Conference commissioner and NCAA investigator

Category:

Sports

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• NCAA