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The way the NCAA and college teams operate is likely to change in the near future with the result of the O'Bannon vs. NCAA anti trust legal case, but that may not be the only significant change coming. USC announced on Monday that it was going to start giving football, men's basketball and women's basketball athletes guaranteed four-year scholarships. That decision could lead to more teams, including WSU, doing the same.
In 1973, the NCAA crated a one-year scholarship rule where scholarships are only guaranteed for a season and are renewable. In 2012, the NCAA tweaked the rule to allow teams to guarantee more than one season. A few teams started doing just that -- notably Northwestern -- but the majority of schools continued to operate with one-year renewable scholarships. Even though they were renewable, scholarships are mostly guaranteed for an athlete's career, assuming no academic or off the field issues. That isn't always the case, however, with some players being urged to move on, or having their scholarship pulled. In theory, the guaranteed scholarships could reduce offseason player movement some, although it won't eliminate it entirely.
The interesting thing to watch going forward will be how do WSU and the rest of the Pac-12 react. Like everything in college athletics, it comes down to recruiting. The Trojans now have an extra chip in their favor by going to guaranteed four-year scholarships. WSU and USC don't go head-to-head for many players, so that may not be of much impact. But, if Utah or Oregon State follow USC's lead, WSU may have no choice but to do the same. If a recruit is deciding between the Cougars and the Beavers, a guaranteed four-year scholarship vs. a one-year renewable could be a deciding factor.
The arms race that is college athletics now moves on to the fine print in paperwork.
More on USC's move:
Four-year scholarships good PR move for USC Trojans - ESPN
Lawyers get busted on plenty. Rightfully so. They often make a living out of complicating the simple. The best lawyers elevate disingenuousness to an art form.
Southern California to offer four-year scholarships
The policy, which replaces the common practice of offering one-year renewable scholarships, will be effective July 1 for all current and future scholarship athletes in those revenue sports.
Football:
Gabe Marks Jr. Washington State The Cougars like to throw the ball a lot and Marks like to catch it and does it exceptionally well. He is a precise route runner that can go off for a 10-catch game when needed and the best of a large bunch of talented Cougar receivers. He got into some off-season trouble and I don't know if it has been resolved yet, so his exact status as far as suspension go is uncertain though.
Cheese news:
Here's Another Reason to Skip the Processed Cheese | TakePart
At Washington State University, Cougar Gold cheddar, a canned cheese product, has developed a cult following since the 1940s for its end-times-like ability to be stored indefinitely; WSU says customers have aged cans for more than 30 years before opening them.