<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Big Nasty:</div><div class="quote_post">INDIANAPOLIS -- An estimated 10 percent of Division I teams could lose scholarships starting in the fall of 2005 if a broad academic reform proposal is approved by the NCAA in April. The penalty would be enforced if an athlete leaves school while in poor academic standing. The team could award the scholarship to a walk-on, but would be prevented from recruiting a new player for one year. "The penalty is that it does not allow you to have a competitive opportunity to recruit a student-athlete," said Todd Turner, whose committee recommended the penalties and rewards based on academic performance. Turner said during a conference call Wednesday that the NCAA would collect data this year and next year before enforcing any new rules affecting the organization's 6,138 teams. The NCAA Board of Directors must still approve the proposal at an April 29 meeting before it could take effect. Teams could avoid a penalty if their academic progress rate -- a formula used to determine progress toward graduation -- is high enough.</div> Link
