NCAA Relaxes Eligibility Rules, Considering Loan Idea By MICHAEL MAROT .c The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (April 25) -- The NCAA relaxed its eligibility rules Thursday, allowing high school athletes to enter the NBA draft but still go to college as long as they don't sign with a team or an agent. However, the board of directors tabled a measure that would have allowed top athletes to borrow $20,000. They also tabled a measure that would have allowed high schoolers to play up to one year professionally while retaining college eligibility. That measure will not be debated again until at least August. The new eligibility rule will become effective starting with this year's NBA draft. It matches the rules governing college underclassmen that were in effect before 1997. That year, the NCAA decided that any underclassman who is drafted loses his eligibility, whether he signs with an agent or not. The NCAA is in the process of trying to redefine "amateur'' in the wake of an increasing amount of college athletes who are turning pro early and high school athletes who are skipping college altogether. In last weekend's NFL draft, 12 of the first 28 players chosen were college underclassmen. And in last year's NBA draft, four of the top eight picks were high schoolers. The only senior chosen among the top eight was Duke's Shane Battier. The loan proposal came before the committee a year ago, but was tabled because committee members said they wanted to see more of the amateurism package rather than implement parts of it then. It was tabled again Thursday and Ohio State president Brit Kirwan said it could be debated at a future meeting. The NCAA defines top athletes by where they are projected to go in professional drafts in five sports -- men's and women's basketball, football, baseball and softball. The standards vary for each sport. The board also approved a measure allowing college athletes to accept prize money if it does not exceed their travel expenses to the tournament. Another measure was approved to allow high school or prep school athletes to have their educational expenses paid for as long as the money does not come from agents, athletic representatives or teams. The committee also approved changes in the classification for Division I-A for football and took emergency action to allow universities to pay for treatment of injuries to players who have signed a letter of intent but have not yet enrolled in classes. That would apply primarily to football players, who begin practice in August before classes start. The committee also asked the Management Council to propose legislation for academic reforms, including adjusting the sliding scale of test scores and GPAs
