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sports Diaranson 10 november 2021

NCAA rewrites constitution, sets stage for transformation

(AP) - The NCAA is set- to college sports. Athletes put before the full member-
ting the stage for a dra- have more financial freedom ship for a vote in January.
matic restructuring of than ever before. Confer-
college sports that will ence realignment has swept Emmert called the constitu-
give each of its three divi- through the most powerful tional convention in August,
sions the power to govern leagues while also shuffling not long after the U.S. Su-
itself. lineups deep into Division I. preme Court hammered the
Meanwhile, the expansion of NCAA in a ruling that left
Approval of a new, stream- the College Football Playoff the association vulnerable to
lined constitution is expected promises to bring yet another further legal challenges and
in January with minimal con- revenue windfall to those at in need of deregulation.
sternation or conflict. the top of the NCAA food
chain. It quickly became apparent a
The next phase of the new constitution was merely
NCAA’s transformation fig- Changing the constitution is the first part of transforming
ures to be more difficult: a the first step in determining the NCAA in a way that de-
reshaping of Division I that the NCAA’s ultimate role in emphasizes the Indianapolis- Intercollegiate Athletics, an Perko said. “The encourag-
will tackle revenue distribu- the changing landscape. based association and gives organization of former and ing part is that the constitu-
tion, how rules are made and more power to schools and current college administra- tion does require the com-
enforced, access to the most- “This constitution is not for conferences. tors, backs a restructuring mitment to all of those core
high profile and lucrative today and tomorrow,” Lyons of Division I that would in- principles that define the
NCAA events — such as the said. “It’s for 10 years from “Once we got into this, we clude moving major college educational model.”
men’s basketball tournament now, 20 years from now. really found out that many of football out from under the
— and just how big the tent What’s, potentially, the asso- the issues were at the Divi- NCAA umbrella. The new constitution calls
should be at the top of col- ciation going to look like?” sion I level,” Lyons said. for shrinking the NCAA’s
lege sports. The Bowl Subdivision of highest governing body, the
The rewritten constitution The goal is to have changes Division I is 130 schools Board of Governors, from
“So those are the things that focuses more on the NCAA’s in place in less than a year. that have access to the Col- 21 members to nine and in-
we’re really going to have to broad goals of athlete welfare Southeastern Conference lege Football Playoff, which clude for the first time a re-
get to the granular spot, and and athletics as part of an aca- Commissioner Greg Sankey brings in nearly $500 million cently graduated athlete. The
some of those are going to be demic experience instead of and Ohio University athletic annually that is controlled by board’s duties would be nar-
very difficult conversations governing procedures and director Julie Cromer will conferences, not the NCAA. rowed to only matters that
to have,” said West Virginia operations, both of which lead the Division I Transfor- The Knight Commission re- impact the entire association
athletic director Shane Ly- have come under increasing mation Committee. Lyons cently proposed a revenue- at the highest levels, such as
ons, who is the chairman of criticism. also is a member. sharing model that it believes budgets, strategic planning
the Division I Council and would curb the athletics arms and evaluation of the NCAA
a member of the committee The proposal specifically “There’s a huge gap in Divi- race at the top of Division I president.
that trimmed the bedrock notes that athletes should be sion I, with schools roughly and better support educa-
constitution of the 115-year- allowed to be compensated with $175 million budgets tional goals. The proposed constitution
old organization. for the use of their name, and schools with $4 million also locks in the current rev-
image and likeness — some- budgets,” Lyons said. “A lot Knight Commission CEO enue distribution percentage
The NCAA on Monday re- thing in place only since July of times we’ve tried to legis- Amy Perko said the newly to Division II (4.37%) and
leased a draft of an 18 1/2- — but stands fast on barring late from an equality stand- proposed NCAA constitu- Division III (3.18%), which
page constitution, cut down schools from paying athletes point. Is there possibly a new tion is a good start toward should help it garner sup-
from 43 pages over the last to play. division? Is there a Division reform. port from the majority of the
three months at the direction IV? Do some schools break NCAA’s member schools.
of President Mark Emmert. The document still needs to away and make a Division IV, “There’s a lot still clearly to The NCAA has 1,100 mem-
go to membership for feed- and what is the membership be defined about Division ber schools, 351 that com-
The cutting of NCAA red back after next week’s con- requirement?” I and how the governance pete in Division I, and some
tape comes in a year that has stitutional convention, and it will work and how the rev- 500,000 athletes overall.
brought a tempest of change could be amended before it is The Knight Commission on enue distribution will work,”

Curry scores 50 points to go with 10 assists in Warriors win

(AP) — Stephen Curry’s personal shooting coach and passing man, Bruce and seven rebounds, almost
Fraser, offered some single-handedly leading the “When he gets going like
pregame thoughts that Golden State Warriors past that, it’s a special day,” team-
worked wonders to get the the Atlanta Hawks 127-113 mate and brother-in-law Da-
reigning scoring cham- on Monday night. mion Lee said.
pion right back in rhythm.
Oh, yes, Curry sure wanted Curry dominated for long
“We kind of talked about that 50-spot. And if he wasn’t stretches and danced in de-
certain preparations into my counting, his teammates light, repeatedly raising his
shot, just certain mechanics were committed to getting arms in the air to encourage
that he called it even hav- him there. everyone fortunate enough
ing a little bit more convic- to witness another of his bril-
tion about when it’s time to “It’s always nice,” he said. liant performances.
shoot,” Curry said. “Just a “You never come out with
little seed he planted. I took like a certain number in He scored Golden State’s
that into warmups and the mind. It’s just when you get first 13 points, then 10
rest of the game. He was very it going, you just keep going.” straight down the stretch in
timely with those words of the third before dishing off
wisdom.” Only Hall of Famers Wilt for Juan Toscano-Anderson’s
Chamberlain and Rick Barry 3-pointer that made it 102-85
Curry scored an NBA sea- had registered a game with 50 following the Warriors’ spec-
son-high 50 points with points and 10 assists in War- tacular, 41-point quarter.
nine 3-pointers, 10 assists riors franchise history.