NCAA announces new college basketball policy, including player agents and longer postseason bans

The NCAA adopted a series of policy and rule changes Wednesday that it hopes will clean up college basketball, which has been engulfed by an FBI investigation and other corruption over the past two years.

Among the significant changes that were adopted by the NCAA's board of governors and Division I board of directors are allowing elite high school basketball recruits and college players to be represented by agents -- who are certified by the NCAA -- while still playing; allowing players to enter the NBA draft and return to school if undrafted; introducing more rigorous certification requirements for summer basketball-related events; and longer postseason bans, head coach suspensions and increased recruiting restrictions for college coaches who break the rules.

Significantly, the NCAA is overhauling its process for investigating and adjudicating complex cases involving its rules. Two independent groups will be appointed to oversee and resolve complex cases, which might involve academic misconduct, major penalties or adversarial behavior.

The first independent group will include both external investigators with no school or conference affiliation and select NCAA enforcement staff. A second group, which will comprise 15 people with backgrounds in law, higher education and sports with no affiliations to NCAA schools or conferences, will review the findings of the first group, oversee the hearing and decide penalties, if necessary.

"These changes will promote integrity in the game, strengthen accountability and prioritize the interests of student-athletes over every other factor," NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement. "We remain committed to promoting fairness in college sports and creating an environment that will champion the success of student-athletes."

Emmert said the NCAA would continue to work with the NBA, National Basketball Players Association, apparel companies and USA Basketball to come up with more solutions.

"If they are unwilling or unable to act, we will consider additional changes that will support the success of student-athletes," Emmert said. "It's on us to restore the integrity of college basketball and continue to improve the interests of all student-athletes. They deserve nothing less."