INDIANAPOLIS — NCAA leaders are finally backing up their words with actions.
Less than 24 hours after president Mark Emmert called for immediate changes in college sports, the NCAA’s board of directors approved a measure that would include postseason bans if teams fall below the new Academic Progress Rate cutline. The new mark for the four-year rolling average will increase from 900 to 930. In October, NCAA leaders will consider when the new rules will take effect.
While the APR discussion was already on Thursday’s docket before this week’s two- day presidential retreat, it was the first chance university presidents could prove this time would be different.
In other action, the board:
• Voted unanimously to approve Emmert’s push to impose harsher penalties for teams that underperform in the classroom, including postseason bans.
• Agreed to do away with the single-year APR scores and will use only the four-year rolling average to determine postseason eligibility.
• Agreed to continue providing funding for low-resource schools to help the academic performance of athletes and look at new ways to help those schools.
• Decided to take another look at improving the standards for incoming freshmen and junior college transfers.
• Decided not to permit conference or school television networks to broadcast any high school programming, a definition Emmert said will extend beyond athletic contests.
• Agreed to consider including family members among the definition of third-party influences, a definition that also includes agents.
The Associated Press
