NCAA to give $200M to Members for Athlete Benefits

INDIANAPOLIS ― The NCAA will distribute an extra $200 million to Division I schools in the spring of 2017 to be used by members for funding benefits for athletes.

The NCAA announced Thursday that its board of governors had approved the one-time supplemental distribution. Athletics departments can use the money to help pay for full-cost-of-attendance scholarships and provide unlimited meals for athletes. Schools can also create endowments and start or expand health care and academic programs.

Schools with the largest number of athletic scholarships will receive the largest payouts. These funds are in addition to the normal annual distributions to members and come from Division I assets the NCAA holds in reserve.