EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer
A group of reform-minded college professors urged school presidents to overturn recently passed NCAA legislation that gave the five power conferences the freedom to operate with more autonomy.
The Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics wants the school leaders to request an override vote by an Oct. 6 deadline.
Under the new rules, the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC will have a chance to add stipends on top of scholarships, a change they feel is necessary to help players handle the true cost of attending college.
In opposing the reform, COIA chairman Michael Bowen of University of South Florida wrote a letter Friday saying the cost of those stipends will likely lead to cuts in Olympic and other nonrevenue sports that “most clearly reflect the academic mission of the NCAA.”
COIA also opposes a feature in the legislation that allocates 5 percent of seats on the legislative council to faculty athletics representatives.
COIA also said the new governance structure didn’t go far enough to ensure the NCAA won’t eventually professionalize football and basketball.
“We ask for more time and a renewed commitment to find a better solution,” Bowen wrote.
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