, Columnist
The FBI Is Doing the NCAA's Dirty Work
Charges of corruption and bribery in college basketball are about amateurism rules, not laws.
Auburn University assistant coach Chuck Person is charged with corruption.
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When exactly did the Federal Bureau of Investigation decide that NCAA regulations were the law of the land? When did it conclude that, in addition to hunting down terrorists and investigating insider trading, its mandate also included protecting amateurism in college sports?
For years, athletic shoe companies like Nike and Adidas paid coaches to have their team wear their brand of sneaker. Were coaches like Rick Pitino, John Thompson and Jim Valvano being bribed by the shoe company representatives? You certainly could frame it that way. But nobody did. Neither law enforcement nor the NCAA ever protested.