The NCAA will reform the organization’s governance model by broadening the voting power of the Power Four conferences, the Division I Board of Directors announced on Tuesday, Aug. 5.
Under the new arrangement, the four major leagues – the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC – will have 65% weighted voting power in deliberations regarding rule changes impacting NCAA members.
The Board’s previous voting model featured 24 members holding one vote per seat. The updated structure includes 13 members and grants each of the Power Four leagues 4.1 votes. If that group votes together, they would comprise 16.4 of the 25.4 available votes.
This new structure doesn’t impact how the NCAA approaches revenue distribution or postseason championships. Changes related to those issues must still be approved at annual conventions and will continue to require at least a two-thirds majority vote of delegates.
“I think, generally speaking, the role of the of the A4, A5, whatever terminology people want to use for them – given the scale and the importance that they play and in generally our ability to be successful, I do think they should have a bigger voice at the table,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said at a meeting of the Knight Commission in May.
“But I think the other voices matter too. And part of what we’re trying to figure out here is how to create a dynamic where if you’re at that table, your voice matters and you’re going to be held accountable for the decisions that you make, because the ability of everybody to just hide in the crowd over the history is really unhealthy.”
Another change offered on Tuesday eliminates more than a dozen committees that have traditionally guided the NCAA decision-making process. That number will drop to 30 committees featuring roughly 480 members from the previous structure of 44 committees and over 525 members.
“One of the main reasons for wanting to simplify and shrink, in some cases, the Division I governance structure was to create more accountability, not less,” Baker said. “There are enough committees and enough process and enough people involved in D-I governance at the NCAA that it’s pretty easy for nobody to be accountable for anything.”
The new structure also “dramatically increases” student-athlete representation on these committees, the Board said. Previously, student-athletes sat on 16 committees with 39 total members; moving forward, those numbers will increase to 24 committees featuring 89 members.
“College sports are entering a new era, with student-athletes at Division I schools receiving more financial, health and academic benefits than ever before,” said Virginia Tech President and board chair Tim Sands.
“It is time for the Association to adapt how decisions are made, with increased efficiency and increased student-athlete voice, and the board’s vote to implement this new structure reflects the Association’s commitment to a modernized approach to governing ourselves moving forward.”
The new governance structure also allows subdivisions to regulate specific areas of NCAA rules “that are no longer identified as national standards,” the Board said. Those areas include changes related to recruiting restrictions, financial aid, academic support and time demands.
The NCAA also introduced a proposal that would create three additional units for the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Performance Funds by awarding units for wins in the Final Four (semifinals and championship game). If approved, the NCAA estimates more than $191 million in additional revenue to member schools over the next seven years.
“While there are several more steps in the process, this is a significant positive development,” said NCAA Chief Financial Officer Mario Morris.