• Loading stock data...
Sunday, June 22, 2025

NCAA Releases Recommendations to Modernize Division I

  • Last year, the NCAA ratified a new constitution and put a committee together to consider specific changes to D-I.
  • Expanded postseason brackets for multiple sports are among recommendations in 36-page report.
NCAA
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

At the 2022 NCAA Convention, the NCAA ratified a new constitution to simplify and modernize college sports so they could survive major changes — from name, image, and likeness rules to the NCAA v. Alston decision

Since then, a 21-member Transformation Committee has worked to create recommendations to improve Division I. The committee finally released its complete recommendations on Tuesday and will present them during the NCAA Convention next week.

The recommendations, presented in a 36-page drafted report, would strengthen health and safety guidelines — including a specific focus on concussions.

They would also expand championship brackets — and while it’s unlikely the D-I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments would get bigger, the opportunity is on the table. The recommendations additionally suggested reconsidering how money is distributed throughout the conference.

They’re not nearly as radical as some previously predicted. For example, the committee will not recommend further splitting D-I, despite a vast disparity in resources and priorities among schools. And even some of the changes the committee suggested are vague at best.

But they represent a small step in the right direction for a governing body that has been criticized for putting more resources toward safeguarding a model of amateurism than the welfare of the athletes it was created to protect.

Health and Safety

The NCAA was first created in 1906 to help make college football safer. But it has struggled to create enforceable rules for many health concerns across college sports. 

The governing body does not, for example, currently have a uniform concussion protocol for football — all it requires is that schools maintain their own unspecified protocol. But even that is not enforced.

  • The Transformation Committee suggests the NCAA require all D-I programs to follow the “NCAA Concussion Safety Protocol Checklist,” which is currently only a suggestion. 
  • A doctor with “training in the diagnosis, treatment and initial management of acute concussion and other injuries” must be available at all practices and competitions for certain sports.
  • The guidelines in the Athletics Health Care Administrator Handbook should be “formalized.”
  • Every school should offer access to mental health care.

The Transformation Committee also suggested that D-I schools offer athletes increased healthcare benefits. Schools can now buy insurance for athletes, but they should also provide insurance for “athletically-related injuries” for at least two years after an athlete graduates or finishes playing. 

The committee suggested new monitoring protocols, too. Every four years, schools should provide a comprehensive audit of their physical and mental health services to their conferences. And if a “catastrophic” injury or death occurs, a school must conduct an investigation.

Championship Changes

Earlier this fall, reports surfaced that the NCAA was considering expanding D-I championship bracket sizes in multiple sports — including men’s and women’s basketball. 

The Transformation Committee did suggest that committees consider that in some sports, at least 50% of teams get seeded in a championship bracket. For sports that exist at more than 200 schools, 25% of teams should be eligible for the championship tournament.

Big East Weighs In On NCAA Basketball Tournament Expansion

From TV schedules to revenue, the concept is controversial.
October 18, 2022

Those changes would be considered for the 2023-24 school year.

It did not make a specific recommendation on which sports should see increased participation, and did not make a specific ruling on expanding March Madness. While the concept would undoubtedly provide meaningful opportunities for more athletes, coaches and conference commissioners raised both logistical and financial concerns with the idea.

Financial Distribution

One of the biggest draws of being a D-I member is getting a cut of its annual revenue distribution, which men’s March Madness mostly funds. In 2022, for example, the NCAA doled out $625 million to conferences, funneling the money to schools. 

The system has been criticized, however, for not promoting gender equity. Many funds are distributed based on eligibility and participation in the men’s basketball tournament. 

The Transformation Committee wants that to change. While it did not lay out a specific alternative plan, it did say the NCAA should consider making distributions based on how teams in other sports fare in championship competition. The change would be both significant and popular — it’s been endorsed by multiple women’s basketball coaches as well as the Knight Commission.

Remaining Issues

While increased health and safety resources and a more equitable distribution system would be beneficial, they’re hardly the only issues D-I faces shortly. That’s because many issues are now in the hands of lawmakers, the courts, or the NLRB.

In some cases, the Transformation Committee tried to mitigate the threat of these outside entities making decisions for college sports. It endorsed recommendations to eliminate “volunteer” coaching positions — a timely decision given that former volunteer baseball coaches filed an antitrust lawsuit against the governing body in November.

But the Transformation Committee did not address some of the most pressing concerns, like NIL rules and athlete employment status.

The NLRB Is Going After The NCAA’s Amateurism Model

It will investigate whether USC, the Pac-12, and NCAA violated labor law.
December 15, 2022

“The NCAA is prepared and eager to engage on these issues,” committee co-chair and Ohio University AD, Julie Cromer, wrote in the report. “There’s no question that finding fair, sustainable, and equitable resolutions to each issue will be essential to Division I’s future. We simply need a clear, stable framework under which to address them.”

“Congress is the only entity that can grant that stability.”

To navigate these issues, the NCAA created a subcommittee on “congressional engagement” and hired a new president, Charlie Baker, who comes from the political realm. 

But the future of the NCAA is still muddled at best.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is shown during the first quarter of their game against South Dakota Saturday, September 7 , 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Sues Miami for ‘Tampering’ With Football Transfer

Xavier Lucas signed NIL deals in Madison before transferring to Miami.

Pac-12 Still Playing Conference Tetris As Realignment Heats Up

Sacramento State is leaving the Big Sky for the Big West.

Omaha Delivers Again: LSU, Coastal Carolina Set for CWS Showdown

LSU and Coastal Carolina begin their three-game series Saturday.

Featured Today

Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
Washington's Ben Gorsage, right, and Orland Park Sandburg's Mateo Ramiro-Garcia tangle at the start of the Class 3A state 800-meter run Saturday, May 31, 2025 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Gorsage took third place, followed by Ramiro-Garcia in fourth.

Dozens of Olympic Sports Have Been Cut in Wake of House v...

Tennis, track and field, and swimming and diving appear heavily impacted.
Jun 14, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; LSU Tigers starting pitcher Kade Anderson (32) pitches against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the seventh inning at Charles Schwab Field.
June 16, 2025

How College Athlete Buyouts Could Work in the Revenue-Sharing Era

The buyouts could put both players and schools at a disadvantage.
Jun 16, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks starting pitcher Gage Wood (14) celebrates completing a no hitter against the Murray State Racers at Charles Schwab Field.
June 17, 2025

College World Series Enters Cinderella Era

A series of upsets gives the fast-growing event a new look this year.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Texas' Sam Hurley watches the announcement of the competitors in the high jump at the 2023 NCAA outdoor track and field championships, June 9, 2023 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
June 16, 2025

Revenue-Sharing Model Could Boost Programs in Football’s Shadow

“We’re not getting paid the millions of dollars that football is.”
UT
June 12, 2025

Zakai Zeigler Denied Injunction for Fifth Year at Tennessee

The former Tennessee guard sued the NCAA over potential lost NIL earnings.
North Dakota Fighting Hawks guard Zach Kraft (1) shoots the ball on Friday, March 7, 2025, at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
June 12, 2025

House v. NCAA Settlement Is Here. Non-Power Conference Schools Still Have Questions

D-I administrators still have questions they haven’t gotten answered.
Mar 7, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard Leilani Kapinus (5) looks to pass against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
June 11, 2025

Group of Women Athletes Files Appeal of House v. NCAA Settlement Approval

It’s the first appeal of the landmark settlement, which was approved Friday.