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NCAA votes to increase value of scholarships

Representatives from the NCAA's "Power 5" conferences" voted on Saturday to expand what Division I schools are allowed to provide student-athletes under an athletic scholarship.
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Representatives from the NCAA's "Power 5" conferences voted on Saturday to expand what Division I schools are allowed to provide student-athletes under an athletic scholarship.

As a result of the 79-1 vote -- which included 65 school representatives and 15 athlete representatives, three from each conference -- schools in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC are allowed to award full cost-of-attendance scholarships in all sports.

The vote, taken during the NCAA's annual convention in Fort Washington, Md., redefines an athletic scholarship to cover incidental costs of attending college, such as transportation and miscellaneous personal expanses, on top of the traditional tuition, room, board and textbook expenses.

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One ACC school was reportedly the lone dissenter in the cost-of-attendance vote.

The exact dollar amount of the increased cost of scholarships is unknown considering tuition varies among schools. According to Brian Davis of the Austin-American Statesman, University of Texas student-athletes will receive $4,500 to $5,000.

Several other proposals were passed, including one that guarantees scholarships cannot be reduced or canceled for athletic reasons.

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New concussion management protocols were also passed, as were increased options for student-athletes to borrow against future earnings and schools to purchase loss-of-value insurance for players without use of a student assistance fund.

The Power 5 conferences gained legislative autonomy last year, allowing them to pass legislation separate from the 27 other conferences that make up Division I.

Mike Fiammetta