Making the Grade: NCAA Revenue Distribution and Academic Excellence

Today’s post is part of a three-day series discussing the NCAA Presidential Retreat, in conjunction with Alicia Jessop of Ruling Sports.  For the first piece detailing the fiscal portion of the retreat, click here.  On Friday, Alicia and I will take to our sites to discuss the integrity component of the NCAA Presidential Retreat.

Today, from Ruling Sports…

On August 9 and 10, 2011, NCAA President Mark Emmert summoned 54 Division I university presidents and other NCAA leaders to Indianapolis for a presidential retreat.  The retreat focused on three issues:  “continued expectations for student-athlete academic success, fiscal sustainability in Division I, and fortifying the integrity of the enterprise.”

On the second day of the retreat, participants discussed several key issues related to academics and NCAA student-athletes, including:  raising academic standards of current student-athletes, raising academic requirements for incoming freshmen and two-year college transers, and requiring “appropriate academic performance. . . [from] all participants [of] NCAA championships.”

The common thread of the retreat was that participants seemed committed to implementing thorough reform measures promptly.  As such, the Division I Board of Directors will meet today–one day after the conclusion of the retreat–in Indianapolis and will likely move forward with endorsing stricter academic guidelines.

Click here to continue reading on Ruling Sports.