The NCAA was urged by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics to pass a new policy that would, for the first time, provide financial awards to schools that meet academic expectations for sports teams and athletes.
Under the NCAA’s current revenue distribution formula, nearly 40 percent of the annual $550 million payout for March Madness is awarded based on the success of men’s basketball teams in the tournament. Under the new proposal, more than $10 million and eventually more than $100 million of the media revenues from the March Madness tournament would be awarded to schools whose athletic teams meet academic-based criteria.
During its fall meeting at the Newseum, the Commission also encouraged the NCAA to adopt policies under consideration that would reduce athletic time demands on college athletes.
At the meeting, Shane Battier, a former star basketball player at Duke, argued that reducing time demands on college athletes was important to free up time for them to focus on earning their degrees and enjoy the college student experience.
Battier added that there’s been a “troubling trend in college basketball” of players being overscheduled, adding that it’s becoming a 24/7 job. He contrasted that with his time at Duke, when he had the free time to play Wiffle ball and engage in other leisure activities. Schools need “to do a better job of letting students be students,” Battier said.
Brit Kirwan, chairman, the Knight Commission, said, “With more money flowing into college sports, it is even more critical to ensure educational values are supported by meaningful financial rewards — and not just by words alone.”
The NCAA votes to pass or reject the new policy on October 27, 2016.
The Commission has also urged leaders of the College Football Playoff (CFP) to adopt the same NCAA academic-based criteria for a portion of the CFP distributions.
