NCAA Power 5 Autonomy Passes Unhindered, Now Mark Emmert Has a Shortlist for the Conference Leaders

Now that the Power Five's model of expanded autonomy in NCAA Division I athletics has passed its final hurtle, Mark Emmert has a shortlist of what he would like to see conference leaders accomplish.

Speaking to the Associated Press Wednesday after a lecture at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) in Danbury, Conn., the NCAA's president said health and education should be high priorities. For example, Emmert said he would like to see Power Five school leaders give their student-athletes guaranteed four-year scholarships and health insurance.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors passed the proposal for expanded autonomy for the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC, named the Power Five because they are far more profitable than any other Division I conferences. The proposal's 60-day grace period ended this week and it fell well short of the threshold necessary to strike it down.

Expanded autonomy is expected to go into effect in time for next football season. Still, several Division I Power Five schools are already taking Emmert's advice.

The University of South Carolina is among multiple schools that have implemented guaranteed four-year scholarships for qualified student-athletes. This would mean that a player can go pro in his or her respective sport and be able to continue their education on scholarship at a later date.

"Some notion of a scholarship that covers a bachelor's degree and not a year-to-year commitment is going to be really critical," Emmert told the AP.

Concussion have also been brought to light in college football after Michigan QB Shane Morris suffered one and somehow stayed in the game for the next play. The Michigan athletic department has been under heavy scrutiny for the handling of that situation.

"And when those aren't followed," Emmert said of a new concussion protocol, "we need to explore how we hold people accountable for doing it, and there is not a system for doing that right now."

Another reform Emmert would like to see is refiguring the rule banning student-athletes from being represented by an agent.

"It's hard to figure out what your market value really is without 'professionalizing' yourself, and the whole nature of those relationships needs to be reconsidered, " he said. "If in fact they make the changes that I hope they make, now they'll be able to support students better.

"And many of the mid-majors and the non-football schools are saying, 'Well, we'll try and do the same.' Having people compete over doing good things for students is a good thing."