By the time the 2018-19 season tips off, the NCAA will adopt a series of bold legislative, policy and structures changes that will profoundly alter the college basketball landscape.
Today, the NCAA Board of Governors and Division I Board of Directors unanimously endorsed a series of recommendations from the Commission on College Basketball. These recommendations will ensure integrity in the game, strengthen accountability in college sports and demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of student-athletes.
We are fully committed to restoring the trust and confidence in college sports.
Dr. Rice and the members of the commission were clear. The collegiate model should be strengthened and preserved. To achieve that, we must recommit to our core purpose as a higher education association and renew our commitment to the college degree as the centerpiece of intercollegiate athletics.
The Board of Governors will begin to implement Association-wide actions and Division I members now will begin the task of applying the recommendations to Division I rules, policy and structure. Division I Council members will forward impactful final changes to the DI Board and the Board of Governors for approval by our August meetings.
Change will not end with NCAA actions. The NCAA will work with other organizations – including USA Basketball, apparel companies, the NBA and the NBPA – to make meaningful and lasting changes that will support the commission's recommendations.
This is about more than basketball. This is about the culture and future of college sports. We all will work together to get it right.
— Mark Emmert, NCAA President; G.P. "Bud" Peterson, NCAA Board of Governors Chair; Eric W. Kaler, Division I Board of Directors Chair.
Summary of Recommendations from the Commission on College Basketball
Section 1: Realistic Pathways for Student-Athlete Success
- End One-and-Done. Separate the collegiate track from professional by ending one-and-done.
- Greater Draft Flexibility for Student-Athletes. Allow student-athletes to test their pro prospects and maintain their college eligibility if they do not sign a professional contract.
- NCAA-Certified Agents to Provide Student-Athletes with Assessment of Professional Prospects. Permit students to receive meaningful assessment of their professional prospects earlier, with assistance from NCAA-certified agents. NCAA appoints a VP to, among other things, develop meaningful standards for certification of agents.
- Provide Resources to Make the Promise of a College Education Real. NCAA to establish fund to pay for the degree completion of student-athletes with athletic scholarships who leave member institutions after progress of at least two years towards a degree.
Section 2: Establish Professional Neutral Investigation and Adjudication of Serious Infractions and Hold Institutions and Individuals Accountable
- Independent Investigation and Adjudication of Complex Cases. NCAA to establish independent investigative and adjudicative body.
- Enact and Impose Core Punishments with Significant Deterrent Effect. Core penalties should be increased to allow 1) 5-yr postseason ban for Level I violations; 2) loss of all revenue sharing in post-season play for the entire ban; 3) lifetime bans for a show-cause order; 4) allow bans of more than one season for head coach violations; 5) increase penalties to allow full-year visit bans for recruiting visit violations.
- NCAA to amend rules to require colleges to include in contracts with administrators and coaches' contractual obligations to cooperate with NCAA investigations and agree to submission to NCAA enforcement proceedings.
- Require coaches, athletic directors and college presidents to certify annually that their athletic programs comply with NCAA rules.
Section 3: Mitigating Non-Scholastic Basketball's Harmful Influence on College Basketball
- Reform Non-Scholastic Basketball and Make its Finances Transparent. NCAA should enforce rigorous certification criteria for non-scholastic basketball events that coaches attend. Events should be subject to financial disclosure, an audit of all financial relationships and payments, IRS, and other tax filings. Events must also have educational components.
- Enlist Apparel Companies in Transparency and Accountability Efforts. Boards of public apparel companies should implement financial transparency and accountability with respect to their investments in non-scholastic basketball.
- In Cooperation with Partners, Establish NCAA Youth Basketball Programs. With a goal of 2019, we recommend that the NCAA work with USA Basketball, the NBA and the NBPA and others to establish and administer new youth basketball programs.
- Enact Changes in Rules Governing Recruiting and Coaches' Interaction with Recruits and Student-Athletes. Reduce the influence of third parties and increase the ability of college coaches to interact with recruits and current players. We endorse adoption of a number of rule changes recommended by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.