Maybe the NCAA isn't so bad after all.
If you've read my columns, and plenty of others, involving college athletics' governing body, there haven't been a lot glowing reports on its actions.
Usually, the NCAA is being ripped for a bad decision that makes little sense or a power move that appears more political or financial.
However, last week brought on some new rule changes that should help both student-athletes and the academic institutions they attend.
College basketball's underclassmen that declare for the NBA draft will have an earlier date to decide if it's in their best interest to stay or return to school; college baseball's absurd scheduling gets a little help.
The NCAA board of directors approved a measure forcing players to make a pro decision by May 8 instead of June 15.
The Atlantic Coast Conference, a powerful entity in itself, requested a mid-April date, but a compromise was reached.
Players will have individual workouts with NBA teams beginning April 30 instead of early June. Many underclassmen use the "no agent and you can return" rule just to understand the process and what pro teams are looking for.
While they'll have to make a quicker decision, it's still enough time to figure out their future.
This works out well for academic purposes because players won't be spending so much time traveling from city to city over a several week period, causing them to miss valuable class time and even exams. College presidents and coaches are very concerned about grades because of harsh NCAA penalties that could come for poor academics.
Also, these same coaches can get a better grasp on who will be returning much sooner. Preparing offseason workouts and the upcoming schedule are challenging, and coaches need to know what their teams will look like.
Surprisingly, this rule is getting support from the NBA, which said it can work out some date discrepancies due to its collective bargaining agreement and schedule workouts earlier. This is the same league that's hurting the game with its crazy eligibility rule, forcing kids that don't want to be in school into college basketball. So, it's nice to see them give the collegiate game a break.
I'm just amazed the NCAA is willing to right this wrong for the betterment of student-athletes and universities.
Isn't that what it's for?
(Brad Senkiw writes for the Anderson Independent-Mail in Anderson, S.C.)
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