University of Iowa athletic director Gary Barta has invited all 650 of the school's varsity sports participants to attend a meeting Sunday to discuss what it means to be a student-athlete in 2019.
Barta says he would like feedback not only on the recent move by the NCAA to allow student-athletes to be compensated for use of their name, image and likeness, but on cost-of-attendance scholarships, the expanded food and nutrition program, and new transfer rules, as well.
“There’s never been a better time, in my opinion, to be a student-athlete than right now," Barta said, as reported by Hawk Central. "The question is whether we can make it even better.”
Barta reiterated that his only concern with allowing athletes to brand themselves is protecting the collegiate model, not getting to a point where the students are deemed employees of the university. He wants to be sure Iowa’s athletes are clear on what he means by that.
“They have their own opinions, and I want to hear those,” Barta said. “But do they also have all of the information?”
“I don’t ever remember being asked how my experience was,” he said. “I had a great experience, but I was never asked.”
