The National Collegiate Athletic Association

700 W. Washington Street

P.O. Box 6222

Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-6222

Mark Emmert, President of the NCAA:

We the Student-Athletes of the NCAA are opposed to the current meal rules set forth by your association. We feel for all the work that the Student-Athlete does for its given academic institution; they are not being compensated at the simplest of levels when it comes to meals. Sure the scholarship players have meal plans set for them that other students would be happy to have, but the thing is, Student-Athletes are not other students. Student Athletes under NCAA rules are supposed to only put in 20 “countable” hours while in season, yet we all know a more realistic number is anywhere between 35-40 hours a week not counting time dedicated to class.

The scholarship players aren’t the only ones who are on their given athletic teams either, and this is where the majority of our concern is at. Included in the athletic teams are “walk-on” athletes, who are athletes on the team not under scholarship. Walk-ons under the current NCAA meal rules are not allowed to the meals the scholarship player has, unless they make the travel squad roster which in then would only allow them to eat the day before the game and day of the game, yet throughout the week at practice have to fend for themselves when it comes to meals. We find this rule for a lack of a better word as just plain dumb. These walk-ons are required to be at every training session, every meeting, every practice, every game, every out of school appearance as the scholarship players, yet they have to pay their own way for meals at the same time paying to attend their given academic institution. Some of the walk-on players even play more significant roles for their teams than a lot of the scholarship players, which makes the rule even more preposterous.

We are asking The National Collegiate Athletic Association to make changes in the current meal rules. Specifically, to allow walk-on athletes as equal of privileges when it comes to the meal rules under the association. Not a single athlete should be left behind hungry or stressing how to put food on the table, after putting in so much time and work for their academic institutions that make money on their success. If you invest in your athletes, you are investing in the success of your given academic institutions under the NCAA.