NCAA’s Brand Backs Fifth Year

NCAA President Myles Brand will back a sweeping proposal that would give college basketball players a fifth season of eligibility.

One day after the National Assn. of Basketball Coaches unanimously approved the measure, Brand responded by calling it an “outstanding package.”

“I’m supportive of the package in its entirety,” Brand said Thursday. “It’s coherent, and it’s an effort to make the coach look more like a mentor and a teacher.”

The coaches association plans to submit a revised proposal to the NCAA.

The NCAA must debate the measure and approve the recommendations before they go into effect, a process that will probably take at least a year.

Brand said the extra year of eligibility would help put a greater emphasis on education and improve lagging graduation rates. He said most students take 4.8 years to graduate and that athletes should be expected to do the same.

Another part of the package calls for coaches to meet regularly with players about their classwork and plans.

Brand acknowledged there would be critics.

“I understand it will be controversial,” he said. “We’ll see how it turns out. But I believe the main purpose is to increase graduation rates in men’s basketball, which has had the most severe problem.”

If the NCAA passes the plan, coaches would also be able to make more phone calls to recruits.

Other measures in the proposal include more stringent penalties for schools committing secondary infractions and greater enforcement of NCAA rules.