Rescinding Athletes' Increased Scholarship Funds Would Be Typical NCAA Nonsense

You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?

Earlier in the year the NCAA agreed to increase the value of the athletic scholarship by $2,000.

The plan was to increase the scholarship by $2,000 annually or the full cost of attendance if it happened to be less. It was supposed to be for athletes who receive full scholarships and athletes that play basketball and football. Any athlete that is on a partial scholarship would not be eligible. 

This would have been a great start in trying to fix the problem with the NCAA as many believe that college athletes should be paid.

Now it appears that this may not happen after all.

A total of 97 division I schools have decided to override it, which is much more than the 75 needed for the board to reconsider the stipend. Many don't agree with it because of title IX, the effect the athletic departments would take and it would be another expense added to try and compete with other programs.

There is also a problem with the players that have already committed to certain schools this season, assuming they would receive extra money with their scholarship.

The NCAA can now either rescind the stipend and go back to the way things were, just let it ride out and hope that the amount of schools trying to override the stipend doesn't reach 125, or modify the rule and the schools would then have another 60 day comment period.

Regardless of what happens, this needs to pass one way or another.

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“My belief is that if the board believes the $2,000 proposal is appropriate, I think they will modify the proposal to make it clear that we expect institutions to comply fully with Title IX. I think we’ve already done that, but we’ll make that abundantly clearer in January, and then we’ll have to talk about the implementation time,” Division I vice president David Berst said. “My job is to help everybody accomplish what they’re trying to get done. I believe the board was sincere in trying to provide for the miscellaneous expense allowance, and my job is to find what alternatives may be more pleasing for them.”

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Adding an extra $2,000 isn't enough, as most students spend more than that out of their own pocket every year for books and needed supplies alone. But this is a start to help get things on the right track as far as student-athletes getting what they deserve.

The NCAA makes oodles of money using the players images, jersey numbers, pictures and them participating in bowl games. The least the NCAA can do is help them out with a little extra money in their pockets. 

This is in serious jeopardy of not happening at all, and if that's the case, it will be typical NCAA nonsense. 

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]