NCAA’s ‘Project Division I’ to be Discussed at Convention Next Week
While the nation will be focused on the colossal matchup between Michigan and Washington next week in Houston (Tex.), there’s something else happening in the second week of the new year that college football fans need to be aware of.
The NCAA is holding a convention next week in Phoenix (Ariz.), where decision-makers will meet to discuss what could be the most revolutionary change that college football has ever seen.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, college administrators will gather to potentially lay the groundwork for further exploration of President Charlie Baker’s proposal to revolutionize the Division I model, with one of the proposal’s concepts involving a select number of Division I programs into their own subdivision.
The move would allow for the teams in that subdivision to control their own governance with regard to issues like name, image, and likeness (NIL), the transfer portal, and other hot-button topics around the sport.
“At its meeting next Thursday, the Division I Board of Directors is scheduled to review the proposal and determine whether to charge the Division I Council, or another body, with developing recommendations related to the framework of the proposal — a decision that will initiate a potentially year-long activation process and chart a course for one of the most radical changes in NCAA history,” Dellenger writes.
Baker’s proposal, which was announced last month under the name, “Project Division I,” would allow schools to directly deal with student-athletes on their NIL and provide them with unlimited education-related resources, with the new “subdivision” idea being the third concept that will be tabled for discussion.
In convention documents obtained by Yahoo Sports, the NCAA lays out a potential timeline for the “activation process” of the project, with the current three-part proposal being split into two parts.
“The initial focus would be on the first two concepts that permit schools to (1) strike NIL deals with athletes and (2) offer enhanced educational benefits to their athletes,” Dellenger says. “The process around adopting (3) the new subdivision would follow the adoption of the other two concepts.
“According to the timeline, the DI Council, if given authority to further explore the proposal, will produce final recommendations to the board by its June 25-26 meeting. By August, the board will take action on those recommendations. The timeline targets next January’s NCAA convention for action on the new subdivision structure.”
Dellenger goes on to clarify that the timeline is merely a suggestion and could very well be adjusted, per the convention documents.
While fans should certainly take the time to enjoy the festivities of college football’s biggest game on Monday, logging out for the offseason on Tuesday would be unwise, as the outcome of the NCAA convention and its meetings could shape the very future of the sport.
