Transformative changes to the way college athletics operate could be coming sooner rather than later.
In a move that could further widen the gap between Power Five and Group of Five schools that have varying degrees of resources, the Transformation Committee, a group of high-ranking college officials tasked with modernizing the way NCAA member institutions are governed, met with athletic administrators in Dallas this week to reveal ideas that would deregulate long-standing NCAA bylaws and give more decision-making power to the conferences, according to a report from Sports Illustrated.
While nothing is official (any recommendations would need approval from the NCAA’s higher-ups), the committee’s concepts include eliminating scholarship restrictions on sports that only offer partial scholarships (baseball, for example, is currently limited to 11.7 scholarships for a 35-man roster), doing away with limits on the number of coaches (for instance, football teams are allowed no more than 10 on-field assistants), expanding direct payment from schools to athletes and modifying the calendars on recruiting and the transfer portal (which athletes can currently enter at any time). According to SI, the first three items, at minimum, would be left for individual conferences to decide on if the ideas are eventually approved.
The committee, chaired in part by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, could explore other topics as well, including revenue distribution units and whether or not college athletes are employees, though, according to the report, committee members haven’t come up with any recommendations for that.
The news comes after the NCAA announced earlier this week that Mark Emmert will step down as president of college sports’ governing body no later than next summer.
Photo courtesy of Charlie Nye/Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services
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