John Calipari, Sonny Vaccaro say college athletes should receive an income

Kentucky coach John Calipari and former sneaker company executive Sonny Vaccaro are part of a growing chorus of people in the basketball world who believe giving players an income might alleviate some of the problems — and scandals — inherent in colleges sports.

The U.S. Department of Justice last week announced the arrest of four high-profile college basketball assistants and a high-ranking Adidas executive, identified as Jim Gatto, in connection with a bribery scheme.

Calipari, whose program regularly produces NBA lottery and first-round picks, also believes college athletes should be able to hire agents.