NCAA Proposes Removal of 153 Rules from Handbook Regarding NIL, Financial Restrictions

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors proposed the removal of 153 rules from its handbook on Monday, including rules that prevented schools from directly sharing financial benefits with athletes, per ESPN's Heather Dinich.

After a meeting on Monday, the NCAA came away with nine proposed legislative changes, perhaps the biggest being one that would permit universities to directly pay players. According to Dinich, "NCAA leaders are aiming to reshape the organization's role" and want to enact the major changes by July 1 if a House settlement is approved.

Dinich noted that schools must decide if they want to provide financial benefits to athletes by June 15.

Also in Monday's meeting, the NCAA proposed legislation for "sport-specific roster limits and allowing full scholarships to all student-athletes on a declared roster," which will double the available scholarships in women's sports, according to Dinich.

Per Dinich, the changes proposed by the NCAA would allow Power 4 schools and other schools that opt into the new changes to provide up to $20.5 million in direct financial benefits to athletes, which would align with the expected House settlement.

Though the NCAA's new legislation will give schools more freedom to pay their athletes, a handful of restrictions were proposed with the intention of bringing "clarity and stability to the NIL environment for all Division I schools."

One rule would require players to disclose their NIL agreements if they are greater or equal to $600, according to Dinich. NIL deals made between an athlete and a third party would also need to be reviewed.

The board also approved rules to create technology platforms that will help schools monitor payments to players and allow athletes to report their NIL deals made with third parties.

While the new model certainly moves the NCAA one step closer to acting as a professional sports league, it will maintain eligibility rules that "distinguish Division I athletics from professional sports," according to Dinich. Athletes must be full-time students, meet progress-toward-degree requirements and be in their five-year eligibility period to receive the new benefits.