New NCAA president supports tougher penalties, new emphasis on agent behavior

New NCAA president supports tougher penalties

INDIANAPOLIS — Incoming NCAA President Mark Emmert says he supports harsher penalties for rules violators and that he hopes to work with players unions to help police agents.

Emmert spoke to The Associated Press in a phone interview from Seattle on Tuesday.

Dealing with schools and agents that do not play by the rules has become a major issue in recent months. Schools facing scrutiny include football programs at Michigan and Oklahoma and men’s basketball teams at Connecticut and Tennessee.

There is also a major investigation into whether agents improperly contacted players from several schools, many of those in the SEC.