NCAA approves scholarship changes, tougher academic standards at busy board meeting http://www.kansascity.com/2011/10/27/3232856/ncaa-adopts-numerous-scholarship.html Will all of these rule changes effect college soccer?
It appears that they've increased the value of full scholarships while leaving partial scholarships with no increase. This works against a sport like men's soccer where players are overwhelmingly on partials.
So when does the extra full scholarship money come in effect? Know a couple of players would be nice to bring them some good news!
Somehow I get the feeling that the extra "scholarship" money will go to (and become the de-facto standard for) men's basketball and I-A football. I doubt it will affect men's soccer much, if at all. The only places it might get rolled out are at schools which already utilize their full compliment of scholarships and who don't split their scholarships, and I doubt there are many schools like that out there, or athletes benefiting from said full scholarships. I'm all for the increased academic standards - the NCAA is supposed to be about STUDENT athletes. I'm not a fan of the one and done thing. At least GA contracts have provisions for sending the athlete back to school when their career is over. Paying athletes, not a fan, unless it's applied evenly across all sports and schools. If the revenue generated by football was rolled back into everything, the way NCAA basketball tournament funding is (though they could do a much better job of getting a more equitable distribution), I would be more supportive. As it stands now, both schemes serve to enrich the already well off schools at the expense of the majority, and the "reform" doesn't look like it will change that. It only escalates the monetary arms race. Allowing scholarships to continue to allow a former student athlete continue his (or her) studies, sure. That makes sense in emphasizing the "student" part. Multi-year scholarships? I dunno...it's fine in cases where a player is injured and can no longer play, but what do you do in the case of players that just don't pan out? In a scholarship-limited sport like men's soccer, you could be wasting scarce money on a player that isn't going to make it off the bench. It's got very little effect in I-A football, which is what all of this is aimed at though. When your roster is that big, and the majority of it is on scholarship, you can afford having a bust or two without it hurting.
I think you mean "head-count" scholarships vs "equivalency" scholarships. In any case, it's not good news for men's soccer, or any other men's non-revenue sport for that matter. The money is going to have to come from somewhere, and the most likely candidates are men's non-revenue sports programs. The effect will be particularly bad in middling FBS schools, who'll have to throw in nearly $3,000 for each of their 85 football scholarships, plus whatever it means on the women's side. That's probably about $300K+ per year of additional cost to the athletic departments.
No, that's not what I mean. For more clarity, here is the direct quote from the NCAA release: "The new rule makes the additional aid available to student-athletes in head-count sports (football and basketball) and those in equivalency sports who reach the value of a full scholarship."
2k is chump change for most schools, and they don't want to make it look like a 'payment'. That's just the point, it's supposed to cover incidentals. I would bet most schools will use it on all players who have a full scholarship. Maybe (since they said it's available) for partials too.
I know what it says, but you were making a distinction that doesn't actually exist the way you stated it originally. The term "scholarship" has always had the same meaning. If it's a "full" scholarship, it's a "full scholarship". The difference is that head-count sport scholarships are only "full" scholarships and can't be partialled while equivalency sport scholarships can be any percentage, up to full, and can be partialed. The NCAA has allowed an increase in the financial aid basis that defines the term "full", which automatically benefits football and basketball, and in the end will likely penalize Olympic sports like men's soccer.
The financial part of the proposals is,in my opinion,bullshit. Isn't it enough to be able to go to college and have room and board AND tuition covered? "Incidentals" ....come on. NFL and NBA need minor leagues like baseball. Big time college football and basketball make a mockery out of so called "student athletes". The NCAA is trying to somehow legitimize an already ridiculous situation.
Considering these guys spend an exorbitant amount of time doing football/basketball things that A) have nothing to do with room, board, or tuition and B) make these schools a shit tone of money, yeah, they should definitely get paid.
This is not a given in all conferences, but to be voted on by the individual leagues. This legislation will help further create the division that is already taking place.
I understand that part of the issue but then why not just hire them to play the sport and drop the student illusion. Let the NBA and NFL pick up the costs associated. You know as well as I do that alot of the guys who play these sports for the "factory" programs are marginal students at best and are there ONLY for the sports part.
busy board meeting will be the end of competitve college soccer! they want to end spring soccer period and reduce games played in the fall!
Yep. The money's going to come from somewhere. The Ivy League model works well enough for the Ivies, I suppose.