The NCAA Board of Directors Saturday voted down a proposal to cut football scholarships for D-1 programs from 85 to 80.
The Board did reaffirm the desire to provide a $2,000 "miscellaneous expense allowance" for athletes on full scholarship. The Board voted 14-4 to send it back to a work group to come up with the details of the allowance, and present it again in April. The stipend will probably go into effect during the 2013-14 academic year. Since the original proposal was passed by the NCAA last October, any who signed in November will receive the money they were promised.
In other orders of business.
Multiyear Scholarships:
The Board approved current legislation that allows recruits to be offered multiyear scholarships, rather than the yearly renewable pact. It goes into effect immediately -- which means it will be available for class of 2012 signees this February.
There will be an online vote to override the new rule in the next few weeks. It would take a five-eighths majority vote to override from the 355 Division I schools to rescind the rule -- far more than the 82 that have voiced opposition.
Scholarship reductions:
Aside from keeping D-1 football scholarship totals at 85, the Board also voted to reject cuts in the Football Championship Subdivision from 63 to 60 and from 15 to 13 in women’s basketball.
Cam Newton Rule:
The NCAA board approved a measure to include parents in the definition of agents.
Summer Basketball:
The board approved a measure that allows coaches to spend eight hours per week on the court with players enrolled in summer school. Skills instruction will be limited to two hours per week for a maximum of eight weeks. Eligible players would have to be enrolled in summer school, or maintain a 2.2 college GPA and have 30 credit hours after their freshman year, 50 percent of their degree requirements completed by the end of their sophomore year or 75 percent of the degree requirements completed by the end of their junior year.
Rulebook Edits:
The NCAA Board recieved a preliminary report on the attempt to streamline the 500-page NCAA Rulebook. The subcommittee said it would be focusing the changes around three principles: are the rules meaningful and consequential, are they enforceable and do they help student-athletes. The board wants rules that maintain the current college model of amateurism. A final report is due later this year.