Pac-12 Announces Reforms for Student-Athletes, Including Guaranteed Scholarships

The Pac-12 Conference announced major changes for student-athletes across all sports Monday afternoon. Chief among the reforms are guaranteed four-year scholarships and improved medical benefits.    

Dr. Elson S. Floyd, chairman of the Conference's CEO Group and president of Washington State University, talked about the changes, via an official release from the Pac-12:

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This fulfills a promise we made when we announced our agenda for reform earlier this year. These reforms assure better support for all our student-athletes, reinforce that academics come first, and address the financial and health needs of our students.

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Not only will athletic scholarships be guaranteed for four years, but athletes are also given a "lifetime guarantee" of sorts. For instance, if they leave school early, they can still come back at a later date and use the remainder of their scholarship to continue working toward their degree.

It's not exactly surprising on the heels of the NCAA's new autonomy structure, but it's still a very significant change. The Pac-12 Network's Justin Karp applauded the move by the conference:

Another big change involves medical expenses, which will be provided for student-athletes both during their collegiate careers and four years after their departure from college.

Providing coverage well beyond an athlete's playing career is especially enticing for future generations, as University of Washington gymnast and chair of the Pac-12 Student Athlete Advisory Committee McKenzie Fechter noted in the release:

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I'm proud to be a part of a conference that is pushing reform and doing more for student-athletes. These reforms are positive steps not only for those of us who are current student-athletes, but also for those who aspire to be Pac-12 student-athletes in the future.

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Another notable change states that transfers between Pac-12 schools may receive scholarships right away. Many conferences don't allow intra-conference movement for student-athletes.

Benefits for student-athletes is a long-standing, exhausted debate that won't likely ever have a perfect solution. But this is undoubtedly a major step in the right direction from the Pac-12.