NCAA president says new tier college proposal is ‘just a start’

A day after NCAA President Charlie Baker presented a bold and potentially game-changing proposal to enable certain schools to compensate their athletes, the response from the college sports community varied between praise, caution, and curiosity.

During an appearance at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletic Forum, Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged Baker’s intent to spark a discussion, stating, “I think Charlie has indicated his intent for that to begin a discussion. There’s certainly a lot of content included from which to begin a discussion.”

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In a letter addressed to over 350 Division I schools on Tuesday, Baker outlined an ambitious vision for a new NCAA subdivision at the pinnacle of college sports. His proposal suggested that the most well-funded schools in Division I could pay athletes through a trust fund. Baker emphasized that this idea serves as a starting point in his efforts to transition the association from a reactive to a more proactive stance.