There was a higher than usual number of NCAA violations last year, including the scandal that led to North Carolina’s Greg Little and Robert Quinn’s permanent ineligibility and Marvin Austin’s dismissal from the program.

Attendees at the College Sport Research Institute Conference think something needs to be done.

Notable figures in the field of collegiate athletics met Wednesday at the Friday Center to discuss impending NCAA policy changes at the 2011 CSRI Conference.

The conference featured three panel discussions, two keynote speakers and academic presentations complied by graduates and undergraduates in the fields of exercise and sports science and sports administration.

There was a strong contingency of North Carolina staff and former players at the conference, including former football player Marcus Wilson and former UNC athletic director and now ACC Commissioner John Swofford.

The first panel on Wednesday featured prominent figures in the world of sports agents, NCAA enforcement staff and the media.

Panelists discussed finding a turning point in college athletics concerning amateurism and the role of agents.

Wilson, an NCAA enforcement agent, said while the rules forbidding collegiate athletes from entering into contracts with agents are strictly defined, they may not enable athletes to gain as much knowledge as possible.

“There are Division I committees who are exploring changes to our amateurism and more specifically, agent laws,” Wilson said.

Jamal Brooks and Joby Branion, former college football players turned sports agents, advocated that amateur athletes should not be overly compensated for their services. Instead, they should receive a better academic experience.

“The experience was not nearly as fulfilling an academic experience at Duke University for me as it could have been,” Branion said. “Had I been a walk-on, I would have probably been better off.”

The panelists said the meaning of student-athlete has been lost and that institutions instead are marketing players for their human capital.

Brad Wolverton, a senior editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education, pointed out that many athletes who accept benefits are doing so to financially support themselves and their families. But Wilson argued that the NCAA spends more time prosecuting those who accept luxury gifts like jewelry and vacations.

In the second panel discussion, conference commissioners discussed current hot-button issues in college athletics.

Swofford emphasized that collegiate athletics are in an era of change and are faced with the problem of maintaining a collegiate rather than a professional model.

The recipe for success, Swofford said, is not simply wins on the field.

“It’s about how you’re doing educating your athletes,” Swofford said. “It’s the experience they have … and about the integrity from a compliance standpoint of our programs.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.