NCAA set to vote on key issue in January

A set of proposals to permit NCAA athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorship deals will go up for vote in January, the last step for the association to change its rules but not the last word on how name, image and likeness compensation will work. One year after the NCAA’s Board of Governors directed membership at each of division of the association to come up with plans to allow athletes to cash in on their fame, the Division I Council on Wednesday approved a proposal that took shape in April. The council also approved a proposal that would permit all NCAA athletes to transfer one time without having to sit out a season of competition. Currently, football, basketball, baseball and hockey players must sit out a year after they transfer as an undergraduate. Athletes in other sports have already had access to a one-time exception. Both proposals will go to membership for comment and feedback. Barring something unforeseen, they return to the Division I Council — which has representatives from all 32 D-I conferences — for a final vote in January. “While there has been a lot of surveying of the membership to date, getting proposals in the system has a way of sparking additional conversation and we’re hoping there will be some refinement over the next three months,” said Grace Calhoun, the athletic director at Penn and chair of the council. If the proposals pass, which is also likely, they would go into effect for the 2021-22 school year. For name, image and likeness rules, though, there is still work to be done by lawmakers in Washington. The NCAA has asked for help from Congress in the form of a federal law that would set rules for NIL compensation, overriding a growing amount of state legislation that has pressured the NCAA to take action and protect the association from legal attacks. Lawmakers from both political parties have said they plan after November’s elections to introduce bills related to college sports, though some are looking beyond name, image and likeness to broader reforms.

BASKETBALL

› INDIANAPOLIS — Las Vegas will be the site of an NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament regional for the first time after the college sports sanctioning body changed a policy that prevented states with sports wagering from hosting championship competition. The NCAA announced Wednesday that a 2023 regional will be held in Las Vegas, the first time Nevada will host an NCAA championship event since a women’s basketball regional was held at the Thomas & Mack Center in 1991. The men’s regional in Las Vegas was among 450 host sites announced through 2026 for a variety of sports. Nevada will host 11 events, including the 2026 men’s Frozen Four for hockey, after the NCAA changed its stance on cities with sports betting last year. The NCAA also announced Dayton, Ohio, will continue to host the NCAA D-I men’s basketball tournament’s First Four through at least 2026. It has served as the site for the start of tourney since 2001. The NCAA had previously announced future Final Four sites: Indianapolis in 2021; New Orleans, 2022; Houston, 2023; Phoenix 2024; San Antonio, 2025; and Indianapolis again in 2026. The 2020 Final Four in Atlanta was wiped out by the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic.

FOOTBALL

› NEW YORK — The NFL has canceled next January’s Pro Bowl scheduled for Las Vegas. During a meeting of team owners held virtually Wednesday, the league opted to call off its allstar showcase, hoping to replace it with a variety of virtual activities. The NFL needs flexibility in January in case it has to move regular-season games to that month because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Pro Bowl, set for Jan. 31, a week before the Super Bowl, has lost much of its attractiveness in recent years. Many of the chosen players decided not to participate, and, naturally, players from the two Super Bowl teams don’t go. If there is a Pro Bowl in 2022, the 32 owners voted to return it to the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Players, coaches and fans vote for the Pro Bowl selections, and a fan vote for rosters still will be held, beginning Nov. 17. The final picks will be announced in December.