Bleacher Report Has An Interesting Take On USC Offering Four Year Scholarships

Dec 21, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans coach Steve Sarkisian (left) and athletic director Pat Haden at the Las Vegas Bowl against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Sam Boyd Stadium. USC defeated Fresno State 45-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier today, USC’s Athletic Director Pat Haden announced that their revenue sports programs will now be offering up four year scholarships effective July 1, 2014. This is a bold move by Troy in the wake of the mess that the NCAA finds itself in. For the Trojans, it replaces a system that offers scholarships on a yearly basis that all schools under the NCAA have quietly practiced. As Trenise Ferreira of Bleacher Report put it:

"Under the current practice, student-athletes can be forced out of scholarships for performance reasons, and for many, their opportunity to complete a college degree is over. Under this new practice, as long as a student-athlete is in good academic standing, he or she retains his or her scholarship through graduation."

Expect several schools to fall in line with this idea that Haden says:

This is a plan that not only will help the Trojans, but help student-athletes across the country. But why now? Why come out with the knowledge that schools are, for lack of a better word, ‘renting’ out scholarships year-to-year? Ferreira comments on that as well:

"The NCAA first allowed multiyear scholarships to be offered back in 2011, and while some schools have quietly been doing so for a few years, USC is the first to make it public knowledge. And that’s a shrewd public relations move for the Trojans, who also have a long, established history of covering expenses for former athletes to return to USC and complete their degrees"

Not only that, but what does this do to the already estranged relationship between USC and the NCAA? That is left to be seen.

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The more important thing that Ferreira (along with others on Twitter) goes on to mention is that this is a “game changer”, which it truly is. When the point of going to college to play sports, starts to fade out the college part entirely, that is a big deal. Trying to make it balanced for everybody has gone unresolved for years and has dug the NCAA in a big whole, just look at what is happening with the Ed O’Bannon case. It is an unfair business and these actions by USC gives all those who are looking for an education a chance to not fear losing that because of someone else’s perceived judgement of their athletic production.

Here is one of the NCAA’s problems solved. Only millions more to go.