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Autonomy granted
More power given to 5 largest conferences
NCAA Power Conference Heal
NCAA President Mark Emmert gestures while speaking at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, Thursday. The NCAA Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved a package of historic reforms that will give the nation's five biggest conferences the ability to unilaterally change some of the basic rules governing college sports. - photo by Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — The biggest schools in college sports are about to get a chance to make their own rules. The NCAA Board of Directors voted 16-2 on Thursday to approve a historic package of changes that allows the five richest football conferences — the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC — to unilaterally change some of the rules that have applied to all Division I schools for years. Representatives from those leagues representing 65 universities will also benefit from a new, weighted voting system on legislation covering the 350 schools in Division I. The five largest leagues contend they need more flexibility to solve the day's hottest controversies, including recruiting and health insurance, and complained long and loud over the past two years that they face more scrutiny than everyone else.