By MAC CLARK, staff reporter

Mark Emmert thought he had weathered the Hurricanes, got past the Buckeyes, and stayed strong through the Trojan horse. Well, I guess the NCAA wasn’t ready for a knight or a sleeping tiger.

March Madness always captivates the nation and allows us to see the best of collegiate athletics. Well now that March is over, April showers have rained down two more scandals at big-time universities involving student athletes.

Not only did videos surface of former Rutgers men’s head coach Mike Rice abusing his basketball players, but one of the best kept secrets in college sports was finally released.

The 2010 football national champion Auburn Tigers were accused of grade fixing and paying players.

After watching multiple videos of Rice abusing his players, I was sick to my stomach. Being a coach myself, I was appalled that someone could do something of that nature. Rice was finally shown the door, but Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti let him stay on the bench too long and thankfully he was also let go.

Former coaches on his staff were fired because they told Pernetti about the awful actions taking place at practice. Rutgers is finally getting in front of the issue and reviewing the entire athletics department.

Neither Rice nor his boss should be allowed to work in college athletics ever again. If the NCAA still had any weight and wasn’t just a money-making machine, they would ban Rice and Pernetti from the NCAA.

The situation at Auburn is laughable. We knew this was going to happen. This was bound to come out. Cam Newtown was investigated before he won the Heisman trophy. This was the best kept secret in sports, until now.

Paying players has become a usual violation since the 1980s and the infamous Pony Excess at Southern Methodist University.

Auburn did them one better. The Tigers won a national championship and fixed grades for nine players. Former athletes were even arrested and charged with armed robbery.

Auburn should be stripped of its title. Its former coach, Gene Chizik and current coach Guz Malzahan, should be given harsh penalties. Emmert needs to lay down the hammer, once and for all.

Auburn should be embarrassed. The football program needs to take a step back and evaluate what is important and lose some of the dead weight within the program.

The NCAA membership is splintering. They need to step to the plate and hit a grand slam and do something that will define the generation. Be different. Stand up for the great organization they once were. Go big or go home.