COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — College athletes who expect to stay at their chosen schools until graduation are sometimes surprised to learn their scholarships only cover one year.
The NCAA says its rules are clear. Athletic scholarships are merit-based awards that require adequate academic achievement as well as meeting "participation expectations" on the playing field.
That means players can lose their scholarships, or in the words of one coach, be "run off" if a better recruit is available.
The discrepancy between NCAA rules and player experiences has caught the U.S. Justice Department's attention. The federal agency's antitrust division is investigating the one-year renewable scholarship and has interviewed NCAA officials and member schools.
At Missouri, forward Tyler Stone is transferring to Southeast Missouri. His mother, Sharon Stone, says the school "had to get rid of somebody," though Tigers coach Mike Anderson says Stone's decision to leave was mutual.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
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