Five FBS conference commissioners have asked the NCAA to relax some requirements to compete in Division I for the next four years, including the minimum number of sports a school must sponsor.
The letter from the commissioners of the American Athletic Conference, Mountain West, Mid-American Conference, Sun Belt and Conference USA also asked for temporary relief from NCAA requirements regarding financial aid, average football attendance and scheduling.
The request was made on behalf of all Division I schools.
The letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert, obtained by The Associated Press, says the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the direst financial crisis for higher education since at least the Great Depression.
