Non-Revenue Coaches Oppose NCAA Division I Sport Requirement Waiver Proposal

NCAA President Mark Emmert has received opposition from the representatives of 17 coaches' associations to a recent proposal to ease Division I membership requirements, according to USA Today's Steve Berkowitz on Wednesday.

ESPN reported April 14 that commissioners from five major football conferences sent a joint letter asking Emmert to adjust Division I requirements that outline the number of sports that each school must sponsor.

NCAA rules state that FBS schools need 16 teams—at least six men's and eight women's—and Division I schools carry a requirement of 14.

The conferences to propose a temporary relief from that rule were the American Athletic Conference, Mountain West, Mid-American, Sun Belt and Conference USA. The conferences urged Emmert to consider relaxing the policy for up to four years.

Berkowitz provided an excerpt from the rebuttal sent by coaches' associations representing baseball, golf, softball, volleyball, wrestling, and other non-revenue sports likely to be subject to cuts:

"The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic places a lasting burden on both higher education and intercollegiate athletics alike, but slashing opportunities for students is not the solution. ... Reducing the minimum sports sponsorship requirement that would open the door to eliminating sports should not be an option."

On March 31, Emmert and other NCAA senior management employees accepted a 20 percent pay cut because of the financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic.