UConn Coach Randy Edsall Calls for NCAA to Pay Players Amid Corruption Scandal
Connecticut head football coach Randy Edsall said coaches are likely "nervous" about the FBI probe into college basketball and called on the NCAA to pay players in a series of tweets Friday.
Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports obtained FBI documents that named numerous national powerhouse schools, including Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky, as having players who received money from agent Andy Miller's sports agency. The dollar figures varied, but the investigation could have a major impact on past and present accomplishments in the eyes of the NCAA.
Miller is a basketball agent, so it's unknown if there will be much—if any—impact on college football. However, it will undoubtedly raise similar questions about the most lucrative amateur sport in the world.
Edsall's "pay the players" position is notable because it's so rare among collegiate coaches, most of whom do not publicly take such a stance given the current structure. Edsall's deal with UConn calls for a $1 million annual salary but is heavily incentive-laden, allowing him to make more based on team achievements.
"It shouldn't be a situation where it's not based on achievement," Edsall said last year, per Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant. "I think contracts have gotten out of hand, and I just thought it was fair. I'm very satisfied with the way it worked out. I understood the situation and agreed 100 percent. It should be based on achievement. It was probably the easiest negotiation that I've ever been a part of."
NCAA rules prohibit players from making money for their performance or use of their likeness.
