INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA has broadened the definition of agents to include parents, closing the loophole that allowed 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton to keep playing despite his father’s pay-for-play scheme.
The Division I Amateurism Cabinet sponsored legislation that would include family members and other third parties who shop an athlete’s services to schools for financial gain. The NCAA passed the proposal on Wednesday.
The NCAA determined that Cecil Newton — Cam’s father — wanted money from Mississippi State when Cam Newton was being recruited out of junior college.
Cam Newton, who now plays for the Carolina Panthers, was reinstated after a one-day suspension because the NCAA found he didn’t know about the scheme. He was cleared to play in the SEC and national championship games that season.
