I no longer believe the leaders of the P5 conferences can effect meaningful change within the current structure of the NCAA. It seems irretrievably broken. I would propose creating a new organization with only a single division. This organization would sponsor championships in the following sports:

Men

Basketball *
Soccer *
Swimming & Diving *
Track & Field / X-Country *
Baseball
Lacrosse
Golf
Tennis
Volleyball
Wrestling

Women

Basketball *
Soccer *
Swimming & Diving *
Track & Field / X-Country *
Softball *
Volleyball *
Tennis *
Golf
Lacrosse
Field Hockey

Sports indicated by a * would be required for participation by all members. All other sports are optional. Football is also optional, and the organization would not sponsor a championship nor make any rules governing any voluntary post season play in that sport. Owing to the unique nature of football, schools and conferences may make their own rules, and negotiate their own contracts, governing post season participation in football.

While participation in football is optional, any member who chooses to offer scholarships for football must do so within this organization.

Membership would be open to any accredited college or university that offers a minimum of 160 full cost of attendance scholarships. If a member participates in football, it must offer a minimum of 220 scholarships, no more than 85 of which are for football.

The organization would be responsible for the cost of providing, training and supervising all officials (including football), producing all championships, providing insurance to cover life-long medical costs relating to any injury incurred during participation, and monitoring eligibility compliance through the use of a nationally recognized CPA firm.

Those costs would be funded solely by member dues, shared equally by each member school. All revenues from any tournament in excess of the cost of operating that tournament would be distributed to the members in a manner agreed to by them.

As a P5 leader, I would insist that there be no automatic qualifiers for any championship event or tournament, including the national basketball championship. I would also require that all members, including private schools, must share information regarding their expenses, admissions standards and decisions, and academic performance related to eligibility, and agree that such information may be aggregated, analyzed and disseminated to the public in a way that does not violate the privacy of any individual student athlete.

It is anybody’s guess how many schools would opt to join this new umbrella organization (mine is about 150 schools) and how many would remain in the NCAA. There would be major questions, and no doubt litigation, regarding the vast cash reserves of the NCAA, most of which are either earmarked to specific schools for their participation in past basketball tournaments or intended as an emergency reserve in the event that tournament were to be interrupted.

It would have a major impact on how the schools left behind approach athletics, and possibly lead to the elimination of many, if not all, athletic scholarships in those institutions. Some may view that as unfortunate, others may view it in a more positive light. I suspect more than a few university presidents would, at least secretly, welcome such a change.

Thoughts?

It'll all be worked out by the end of August.