NCAA President Mark Emmert on creating new division for big football schools: 'right thing to do'

NCAA president Mark Emmert discussed a possible fourth subdivision with Big 12 leaders earlier this week. (Bloomberg/Getty Images)

NCAA president Mark Emmert met with Big 12 leaders Wednesday to discuss problems larger NCAA schools are having within the NCAA framework.

The result could be a fourth subdivision within the NCAA.

Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said during the meeting that larger schools have problems unique to them among college athletic institutions. From Chron.com:

"I wouldn't say they're outraged or up in arms," Dodds said. "I just think they're concerned, and somehow the NCAA needs to federate in a way that people with common programs can vote on their programs."

There's speculation the fourth subdivision would include schools/teams from the so-called "power five" football conferences: SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12 and Big 12.

Emmert acknowledged the economic disparity between major and minor football schools is a growing concern. Texas led all NCAA schools with $163.3 million in athletic revenue in 2012, while Louisiana-Monroe had the smallest revenue of $11.3 million.

The fourth subdivision would not fully cure the growing problems in the NCAA, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby noted. From Chron.com's report:

"It would be unforthright to say that people aren't concerned and frustrated with the legislative process and the governance processes," Bowlsby said. "I just think there's a general uneasiness, and I haven't heard anybody that's got the master plan that fixes it all."

Emmert noted the fourth subdivision could work within the NCAA framework, but that it was the member institutions to make the change. From Chron.com:

"That's not my decision," he said. "That's the members' decision. And I hope they look at it. I think it would be healthy and the right thing to do."