HOOVER, Ala., July 20 (UPI) -- Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive said Wednesday college football needs to improve four key areas to re-establish the game's credibility.
Speaking at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., Slive said repeated incidents of NCAA rules violations in recent years have tarnished college football's brand, The (New Orleans) Times Picayune reported.
"Intercollegiate athletics has lost the benefit of the doubt," Slive said. "We've seen reform efforts come and go while the size of the NCAA manual grows. Economics shouldn't always be the reason we don't do something."
The newspaper said Slive outlined a four-point reform plan that included redefining the meaning of a "benefit" to a student-athlete and toughening up academic requirements for incoming freshmen and junior college transfers.
The plan would also "modernize" recruiting restrictions as they apply to new technology such as cell phones and social media, as well as generally improve enforcement.
The SEC chief suggested increasing the minimum grade-point average for incoming freshmen from 2.0 to 2.5, The Times-Picayune reported.
