NCAA approves major scholarship changes at meeting

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA is making some sweeping changes to college athletics.

The Division I board of directors will give conferences the option of adding $2,000 in spending money as part of athletic scholarships, and schools will also be able to decide whether to award scholarships for multiple years.

Currently, scholarships include money only for tuition, room and board, books and fees, and are awarded on an annual basis.

The board also agreed to start banning schools from postseason play if they don't meet benchmarks on the annual Academic Progress Rate report. The first bans wouldn't begin until 2012-13 and would be phased in over four years.