NCAA Unveils Program to Help Athletes' Families with Travel for Final Four, CFP

The NCAA is taking steps to help families see their student-athletes play on the biggest stage by creating a pilot program to cover travel expenses for the men's and women's basketball Final Fours. It also granted a waiver to allow the College Football Playoff to take similar steps for this year's national championship.

The NCAA made the announcement Tuesday afternoon:

The association's release shared details about the pilot program:

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The NCAA will pay up to $3,000 total in travel, hotel and meal expenses for family members of each student-athlete who competes in the Final Four semifinal games but don't advance to the championships. The NCAA will pay up to $4,000 in expenses for each of the student-athletes who compete in the men's and women's basketball championship games. The College Football Playoff may provide up to $3,000 in travel expenses for families of each competing student-athlete.

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NCAA President Mark Emmert commented on the program, per the release:

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Championship experiences like the Final Four create memories of a lifetime for student-athletes, and we want to make sure their families are there to support and celebrate with them.

From multiyear scholarships to opportunities to return to school and complete their degree on scholarship, we have been dedicated to further improving the student-athlete experience since our presidential retreat in August 2011. Providing travel expenses for student-athletes' families is another example of this progress.

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Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman commented on what the cost of the program would be for the College Football Playoff in the context of its revenue for the title game:

While the issue of paying student-athletes has been on the radar for the past few years, the transportation of families to watch their children play in high-profile sporting events is another topic that needed to be addressed.

By implementing this pilot program, the NCAA has taken the steps necessary to make it possible for families to experience these moments together. 

The College Football Playoff National Championship takes place Monday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. An exciting inaugural season for the CFP will culminate with the Oregon Ducks battling the Ohio State Buckeyes for college football supremacy.