Originally posted by Aaron Sweazy:
Mike,
KJCCC schools are allocated pretty much unlimited funds in terms of books and tuition for athletes or even those on other type of activity scholarships. The reason for this is a bill passed by a former Governor in the state allocating funds to be earmarked for this. Books and Tuition are unlimited to instate students. Only a certain amount of out of staters can benefit from this. Why do you think Kansas Jucos are the tops in almost every sport?
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Are you sure about that Sweazy?
Unless it changed this year, Jayhawk Conference wrestling teams are limited to 16 scholarships - with a scholarship being defined as anything from a $1 to full tuition, books and fees. A violation in this area was purportedly in part what kept Terry Pack and his defending NJCAA national team champions from defending the title the following year - as they were banned from the post season that year.
One thing that has changed lately - perhaps as a part of the Governor's action you are referencing (although I am not sure) is that some jucos now offer free tuititon, books and fees to individuals who graduate from high schools within their defined trade area - city, county, etc (implemented in part because people within that trade area support the juco through the mill levy on their real and personal property taxes). Because these are not athletic scholarships they do not count toward aforementioned 16.
Your comment about Kansas jucos being the top or near the top in the nation in many sports is true. But Kansas is actually at a disadvantage, as the Jayhawk conference is (or, again, at least used to be) one of the few, if not the only, juco conference in the country that forbids the awarding of athletic scholarships for room and board.
They can use non-athletic money such as private contributions routed throught the appropriate foundation or endowment assciation, endowed memorial scholarships, etc to supplement the athletic money. But no athletic money for the room & board in the Jayhawk Conference.
