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NCAA Statement on Department of Justice Inquiry

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Contact(s)

Bob Williams
Managing Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117



The NCAA has learned that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division is interested in the reasons behind NCAA rules that state an athletics grants-in-aid should be awarded a year at a time and that total athletics grants-in-aid should be limited to five years. The NCAA is working with Justice to help it understand that athletics financial aid is a "merit" award and an annual review of whether an individual meets the standards of a merit award is the most appropriate way to ensure that the most deserving student-athletes receive that award each year. Student-athletes must demonstrate that they deserve the merit-based award of athletics aid in two ways—by remaining academically eligible for competition and by meeting participation expectations in the sport for which aid is granted.  The NCAA  has also explained that the five year rule (or 10 semesters for Division II) is linked to the fact a student-athlete has only five years or 10 semesters in Division II in which to use his or her four years of eligibility to participate in NCAA sports.