NCAA D2 College Baseball Proposal Advancing

The NCAA has been considering a number of changes within Division 2 athletics that would reduce the playing and/or practice time of various sports.  As I reported here (NCAA Recommending Reductions in College Baseball Season) and here (D2 Baseball and Shorter Season) the D2 Management Council was taking up these issues before advancing them to higher level decision makers within the NCAA.

These proposals have now advanced to the NCAA Division II President’s Council who will take up the issue this week on Wednesday and Thursday.  It was the President’s Council who started this whole thing in January –

The Presidents Council charged the Division II Legislation and Championships Committees in January to recommend ways in which the division’s playing and practice seasons legislation could be modified to better align with the Division II strategic-positioning platform. In essence, the presidents were asking the division’s governance structure for a gut-check on whether the division’s sports interests were skewing the academics/athletics balance stated in the platform.

It’s all well and good to go talking about “academic balance” but the real reason for these potential changes is in a paragraph further down –

The exercise also coincides with the division’s attempt to seek better business practices to ease fiscal pressure during the current downward economic trend.

As usual, it’s all about the money. 

It seems like D2 schools are only looking at the expense side.  I’m guessing that “most” Division 2 college baseball programs give anywhere from 2-5 equivalent scholarships plus the expense of running a program (travel, coaches, equipment, recruiting).  Still, if there are 30+ kids attending your school to play baseball (and attend school) what is the total amount of tuition that those students bring in?  How many of them would be at your school if it weren’t for the baseball program?  I don’t think my son would be attending the school he’s going to if it weren’t for the baseball program.  My $16k+/year (no financial aid) goes straight into the school’s bank account – all for the pittance of a baseball scholarship they offer that at best covers his books.

NCAA President’s Council to engage in Playing Season Debate