ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC set to discuss proposals to provide additional support to student-athletes

SAN ANTONIO – Eighty voting members of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC will meet in San Antonio, Tex-as, on Friday, January 15, to consider a series of proposals as part of the Autonomy governance process that gives the five conferences the ability to enact NCAA rule changes in specific legislative areas. 

The proposals under consideration were originally submitted by conferences in the Fall of 2015. 

“Sports are an important part of the education received by thousands of young men and women in our conferences,” the five commissioners said in a joint statement.  “Our job is to help students succeed in college and in life and we know that through sports, students learn discipline and how to manage their time.”

The meeting will include representatives from each of the 65 member schools of the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC conferences and 15 student-athlete representatives, each of whom has a full vote and has been included in the ongoing discussions at the conference level.

Last year’s meeting in Washington, DC resulted in the passage of measures that protected student-athlete scholarships and allowed, for the first time ever, the creation of full cost of attendance benefits for student-athletes. The five conferences also adopted a Resolution, which outlined the vision for the future of intercollegiate sports and included a list of concepts to be delivered as legislative proposals during the following two years, including the areas of time demands, enhanced benefits and a redefinition of rules related to agents and advisors.

“We are in a new era in college sports,” the commissioners added.  “We are determined to protect and improve the student-athlete experience.  Thanks to college athletics and the scholarships students receive, many will graduate debt-free. We are also tasked with helping them develop the skills they need to be successful in life.” 

About the Autonomy Session
The autonomy proposals will be reviewed during a Discussion Forum on Friday beginning at 8 a.m. CT, followed immediately by voting during the Autonomy Business Session. The chair of the group will be President Harris Pastides of the University of South Carolina.

Proposals can be approved by one of the following methods:
•    60 percent of all votes (48 votes) and a simple majority support from schools in three of the five conferences, or;
•    A majority of all votes (at least 41) and simple majority support from the schools in four of the five conferences.

In addition to representatives from the 65 universities, 15 student-athletes will give a voice for the tens of thousands of current student-athletes in the five conferences.  The student-athletes in the autonomy process include:

Name                          Institution             Sport
Patrick Andrews          Clemson               Baseball
Kaila Barber                Notre Dame          Track and Field
Brady Bramlett            Ole Miss                Baseball
Ty Darlington              Oklahoma              Football
Diamond DeShields   Tennessee             Women's Basketball
Ben-Marvin Egel         Purdue                   Men's Golf
Chris Hawthorne        Minnesota               Football
Jay Hughes                Mississippi State     Football
Taylor James             California                 Women's Rowing
Anthony Lyons, Jr.     Texas Tech             Baseball
Luis Macias                Utah                        Men’s Swimming
Nandi Mehta               Northwestern          Women's Soccer
Kene Orjioke              UCLA                       Football
Artie Rowell                Pitt                           Football
Maddie Stein              Kansas                    Softball