The NCAA board of directors will vote Thursday on a proposal that would give the five wealthiest college football conferences the ability to make rules and pass legislation without the approval of the rest of Division I schools.
The autonomy proposal is expected to pass. Here’s what you need to know about it:
Q: What do the big conferences want?
A: The 65 schools in Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference would get the ability to pass permissive legislation to “enhance the well-being of student-athletes.” They want to be allowed to spend their growing revenues on things such as scholarships that cover the full cost of attending college beyond tuition, room and board, and books. Those conferences also want to invest more in long-term health care and continuing education and ensure that athletes retain scholarships for four years. Schools in the other 27 Division I conferences can try to do some of those things if they want, but they will not be required to.
“I think we’ve gotten to a place where we just believe there was a need for us to perhaps be a little less egalitarian, a little less magnanimous about the 350 schools and spend a little time worrying about the most severe issues that are troubling our programs among the 65,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said Wednesday during forum in New York hosted by the conference.
Q: Why do those conferences need autonomy to do that?
A: In the past, schools in conferences that don’t have the billions of dollars in TV revenues that the so-called Big Five have stood in the way of the NCAA passing legislation that would have provide some of those extra benefits to athletes. Specifically, in 2011 a proposal that would have allowed schools to give athletes a $2,000 stipend to cover cost of attendance was overridden by about half of the 355 Division I schools.
