Triangle schools: Commission provides 'blueprint' for changes to college hoops

Indianapolis — The Commission on College Basketball has spoken.

Condoleezza Rice and the commission she led released a 53-page report Wednesday morning calling for reforms to separate pro and college tracks, permit players to return to school after going undrafted by the NBA and ban cheating coaches for life.

The NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon to endorse the commission's recommendations, but don't expect any immediate changes.

• A waste of time: Basketball commission's recommendations won't lead to meaningful reform

Along Tobacco Road, officials at Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill thanked the Commission for laying the groundwork for change.

“We appreciate the work of the commission and its commitment to doing what is best for student-athletes," UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. "We recognize these are complex issues, and look forward to working out the details with the appropriate committees so that these recommendations will positively impact the student-athlete experience and the future of college basketball.”

In Durham, both Duke Director of Athletics Kevin White and head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski thanked Rice's commission for what White called "valuable insights and recommendations."

"(The recommendations) provide a starting point, a blueprint so to speak, for the future of college basketball. There is still much work to be done in coordinating the significant effort to make basketball – at all levels of play – the very best it can be," White said.

"We have consistently said that we’d like to see substantive change in college athletics, particularly within our sport, and this appears to be a starting point for further discussion among the entities who touch basketball at all levels," Krzyzewski added.

NC State Director of Athletics Debbie Yow said the Commission made a "number of impactful recommendations" and highlighted two in particular.

"Two that carry the promise of significant and positive change include the certification by the NCAA of non-scholastic basketball events and the future reviews of the use of name, image and likeness by collegiate athletes," Yow said. "Those of us who have hoped for years that these two topics would become priorities owe a debt of gratitude to all who served on the Commission.”

The Commission largely danced around whether college athletes should be able to cash in on their names, images and likenesses, but Rice's remarks to the NCAA suggested she thinks it is good idea.

"We don't believe that the NCAA can legislate in this area until the legal parameters become clearer," the former U.S. Secretary of State said. "That said, most Commissioners believe that the rules on name, image, and likeness should be taken up as soon as the legal framework is established.

"It is hard for the public, and frankly for me, to understand what can be allowed within the college model - for the life of me I don't understand the difference between Olympic payments and participation in 'Dancing with the Stars' - and what can't be allowed without opening the door to professionalizing college basketball," Rice said.

The commission clearly stated it did not believe college basketball players should be paid a salary for competition. But something similar to an Olympic model, where athletes are compensated by outside sources, could be workable — once the courts work though the issue.

In a case brought by former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon , a judge ruled that the NCAA for years inappropriately used the names, images and likenesses for athletes and said the NCAA should be required to allow schools to pay athletes for NIL. An appeals court vacated that requirement to allow payments of limited deferred compensation.

Rice's mention of "Dancing with the Stars" was a reference to Notre Dame basketball star Arike Ogunbowale's upcoming appearance on the popular ABC show. Ogunbowale became a national star during the women's Final Four when she made game-winning buzzer-beaters in the semifinals and final.

The unanimous vote of support by the NCAA Board of Governors sets in motion months of hard work to actually change rules, craft legislation and build consensus among 351 Division I members on how best to reform the sport.

Here’s what happens next:

• The boards will direct the Division I Council, a group mostly composed of athletic directors, to craft legislation to implement the proposals.
• NCAA President Mark Emmert said the council has already begun creating subcommittees to work on legislation in particular areas, such as the NBA’s so-called one-and-done rule, enforcement of rules and the relationship between players and agents.
• Legislation is expected to be presented back to the board by August so reform can be implemented before the next basketball season begins.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches is also expressing its support of the changes proposed Wednesday morning.

Executive director Jim Haney said Wednesday that the recommendations put forth by the commission represent "a necessary step to addressing the issues our game faces in light of the Department of Justice investigation."

Haney says the NABC knew impactful change was coming and is committed to working with the NCAA to turn the recommendations into new guidelines.

Other recommendations included in Wednesday's report:

• Work with the NBA to lift the league’s so-called one-and-done rule that requires players be at least 19 years old and a year removed from high school to be draft eligible.
• Allow players to enter the draft out of high school or after any college season, and to return to their school if they go undrafted.
• Allow and encourage access to certified agents to high school and college players to help athletes and their families make more informed choices about professional opportunities.
• Create independent investigative and adjudicative body to address and resolve complex and serious cases involving NCAA violations.
• Impose stiffer penalties for serious rules violations to deter future rule-breakers, including: Increased competition penalties for Level I violations to allow a five-year post-season ban; increased financial penalties for Level I violations to allow loss of all revenue sharing in postseason play for the entire period of the ban; increased penalties for a show-cause order to allow lifetime bans; increased penalties for head coach restrictions to allow bans of more than one season; increased penalties for recruiting visit violations to allow full-year visit bans.
• Require coaches, athletic directors and university presidents to certify annually they have conducted due diligence and their athletic programs comply with NCAA rules.
• Adopt and enforce rigorous criteria for so-called non-scholastic basketball, such as summer recruiting events and AAU leagues.