The NCAA’s board of governors has plans to meet in a special session to discuss improving how it deals with student-athletes who have histories of sexual violence.
Chairman Michael Drake said at the annual NCAA Convention that the board is aware of, and acting on, the need for a new sexual violence policy.
"I think we are committed to addressing this very important issue," Drake said, according to reporting by ESPN.
The board met Wednesday on the topic for the first time since receiving an inquiry from Congress about why college athletes are allowed to transfer to new schools after having been suspended for sexual assault.
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Drake said the impetus for Wednesday's discussion wasn't directly related to prior reporting of congressional interest.
"This has been an active area of discussion for us over these last several months," he said.
The new focus on the policy comes following a report by USA Today, which alleged that the NCAA and some top colleges have a history of helping athletes transfer to other schools and continue playing despite having been accused of — and in some cases criminally convicted of — sexual assault and rape.
