OT: NCAA Considering changes to amateurism and eligibility rules including 5th year

Interesting article. I don't care for the redshirt changes, but whatever.

Other notable changes include what documents describe as a "new signing model" with the elimination of the National Letter of Intent. The "core benefits" of the National Letter of Intent will be incorporated into the institution's athletics financial aid and scholarship agreements, according to the document....

... As for transfers, those moving from a four-year college to another must enter the transfer portal to sign the written offer of athletics aid, according to documents. Those signings cannot occur until the sport-specific windows have opened.

Love it

The NCAA is in the process of considering an elimination of the spring transfer portal window in football.

Love it

Permitting athletes who received payment exceeding their expenses for participation in an athletics event to retain their Division I eligibility. Under current NCAA rules, athletes are precluded from accepting any form of payment or prize money for athletics participation beyond necessary expenses (e.g., meals, lodging, travel, etc.) without jeopardizing their eligibility.

As someone who follows tennis, I like this a lot. Why can't a tennis player go and play a futures tournament in the summer and keep the winnings? Spoiler alert: they already do this - when I was in my late teens I worked at a country club that hosted a Men's Open tournament with a $25k purse. We'd get a mix of top college guys, top juniors who are going straight to pro, and former top ~300 players who were past their prime. Payouts to college guys were always in cash.

Why can't a college soccer player go on loan to a pro team for a month?

My current thought - which I'm still workshopping - is If the whole point of college is to prepare you for a career after college, then why should the NCAA stop you from doing so?