NCAA Promotes Increased 2016 Academic Standards Via Funny Talking Bench Stunt (VIDEO)

 

The NCAA will be increasing its academic standards beginning in August of 2016, requiring student-athletes to earn at least a 2.3 GPA (up from 2.0) in NCAA core courses to be eligible to compete in their first year of college. To announce and help prepare high school athletes for the change, the NCAA has launched a light-hearted commercial featuring a talking bench that warns them that if they don’t keep their grades up they’ll be joining him on the sideline in college. According to an ESPN report, an alarming 43.1% of men’s basketball players who enrolled in the 2010-2011 season would not be eligible under 2016 academic standards. Division I uses a sliding scale to match test scores and core GPAs. The website 2point3.org offers a expansive breakdown of the looming academic standard changes.