Photo by: University of Colorado
NCAA Adopts Olympics Legislation to Provide Funding Flexibility for Elite Student-Athletes
January 27, 2020 | General
INDIANAPOLIS--Changes enacted at last week's NCAA Convention provide new flexibility for elite student-athletes to receive funding to support their Olympics training efforts.
Conference leaders, presidents, chancellors, athletic directors and other administrators from universities around the country convened in Anaheim, California, for the annual convention, with the NCAA members discussing a wide range of topics, including name, image and likeness. CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano sits on the NCAA Board of Governors, the organization's highest governing body, as well as the Division I Board of Directors. Athletic Director Rick George is a member of the Division I Council.
The Division I Council's action means that athletes designated as elite by nationally recognized groups may receive developmental training expenses from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee national governing bodies, including travel for parents, guardians, coaches and sport experts. The changes are effective immediately.
"CU Boulder has a rich history of elite student athletes worthy of competing on the world stage," DiStefano said. "I'm excited about the council's move in recognizing the value of allowing these student athletes to receive support for their Olympic training efforts while simultaneously earning their degrees and competing for their universities."
The autonomy conferences had recently voted electronically that all legislation applicable to the Olympic Games and Olympic teams and athletes also applies to the Paralympic Games, Paralympic teams and athletes. Similarly, legislation applicable to the Pan American Games now also applies to the Parapan American Games. The council adopted the same legislation at the convention.
Name, image and likeness, meanwhile, was a major topic at the convention as the NCAA's Division I Name, Image and Likeness Legislative Solutions group works toward creating legislative recommendations later this year. The Division I Board of Directors and Division I Presidential Forum heard updates from the Legislative Solutions Group, and provided feedback.Â
The Board of Governors voted unanimously in October to permit student athletes the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image in and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model, with an aim to vote on new legislation in January 2021. And at the convention last week, the D-I Board of Directors and Presidential Forum reaffirmed principles adopted by the Board of Governors.
"It is clear there is public support for student athletes to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness, and the NCAA is working with a variety of stakeholders to come up with one set of standards that apply evenly and fairly to all universities," DiStefano said.
In other NCAA Convention news, the D-I Council adopted legislation to require schools to annually report all sport-related concussions in student-athletes and the resolution of those concussions.Â
The Board of Governors also reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the NCAA's efforts to address sexual violence, with board chair Michael Drake, president of Ohio State University, stating that, "The board had a robust discussion leading to continued work on an expanded sexual violence policy, which will be finalized at a special meeting dedicated to these issues in the coming weeks."
Conference leaders, presidents, chancellors, athletic directors and other administrators from universities around the country convened in Anaheim, California, for the annual convention, with the NCAA members discussing a wide range of topics, including name, image and likeness. CU Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano sits on the NCAA Board of Governors, the organization's highest governing body, as well as the Division I Board of Directors. Athletic Director Rick George is a member of the Division I Council.
The Division I Council's action means that athletes designated as elite by nationally recognized groups may receive developmental training expenses from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee national governing bodies, including travel for parents, guardians, coaches and sport experts. The changes are effective immediately.
"CU Boulder has a rich history of elite student athletes worthy of competing on the world stage," DiStefano said. "I'm excited about the council's move in recognizing the value of allowing these student athletes to receive support for their Olympic training efforts while simultaneously earning their degrees and competing for their universities."
The autonomy conferences had recently voted electronically that all legislation applicable to the Olympic Games and Olympic teams and athletes also applies to the Paralympic Games, Paralympic teams and athletes. Similarly, legislation applicable to the Pan American Games now also applies to the Parapan American Games. The council adopted the same legislation at the convention.
Name, image and likeness, meanwhile, was a major topic at the convention as the NCAA's Division I Name, Image and Likeness Legislative Solutions group works toward creating legislative recommendations later this year. The Division I Board of Directors and Division I Presidential Forum heard updates from the Legislative Solutions Group, and provided feedback.Â
The Board of Governors voted unanimously in October to permit student athletes the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image in and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model, with an aim to vote on new legislation in January 2021. And at the convention last week, the D-I Board of Directors and Presidential Forum reaffirmed principles adopted by the Board of Governors.
"It is clear there is public support for student athletes to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness, and the NCAA is working with a variety of stakeholders to come up with one set of standards that apply evenly and fairly to all universities," DiStefano said.
In other NCAA Convention news, the D-I Council adopted legislation to require schools to annually report all sport-related concussions in student-athletes and the resolution of those concussions.Â
The Board of Governors also reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the NCAA's efforts to address sexual violence, with board chair Michael Drake, president of Ohio State University, stating that, "The board had a robust discussion leading to continued work on an expanded sexual violence policy, which will be finalized at a special meeting dedicated to these issues in the coming weeks."
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