Colleges’ Shift on Four-Year Scholarships Reflects Players Growing Power Earlier this month (October), the Big Ten announced that it would become the first conference to guarantee its athletic scholarships for four years, a change from the widely followed practice of offering a single-year scholarship that can be renewed. Effective immediately, the Big Ten will ensure that none of its recruited athletes — in any sport — can lose their financial aid because of injury, poor play or coaches’ judgment. Jim Delany, the league’s commissioner, said, “To make a four-year commitment and give student-athletes the security, it’s the right thing to do.” A handful of universities have announced similar intentions in recent months — Indiana, South Carolina and Southern California among them — and on Monday, the Pacific-12 said that it, too, would guarantee four-year scholarships. The Atlantic Coast Conference has also voiced its support, as has the N.C.A.A. president, Mark Emmert. Although one-year scholarships are generally renewed by universities, the announcements represent a shift in power toward college athletes. “These scholarship terms are about power and control,” said Allen Sack, a professor of sports management at the University of New Haven and a longtime N.C.A.A. critic, “and what schools are willing to give up.” As the N.C.A.A. continues to navigate a series of lawsuits aimed at amateurism, an effort to unionize and a vocal chorus of critics, the scholarship — which usually covers tuition, books, and room and board — has long provided a window into the complicated relationship between players and their coaches and universities. Read more: ufcw8.us/1zScez4
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 17:00:03 +0000
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