Proposition 48 and User Education for Athletes

At the 1983 winter meeting of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Proposition 48 (P48) was enacted as an initial step in reforming the state of collegiate athletics. Proposition 48 has two components: P48 and P48B. The first component states that 1) incoming first‐year students must have attained at least a 2.0 grade point average in eleven “core” college preparatory courses, which must include three English courses, two math courses, two social science courses, and two natural or physical sciences courses (including one lab section); and 2) incoming first‐year students must score at least seven hundred on the SAT or fifteen on the ACT. P48B states that 1) first‐year students who do not meet the minimum grade requirements of P48 may still enroll in the university of their choice if accepted; 2) first‐year students who do not meet the minimum requirements of P48 are ineligible for athletics their first year; 3) they will have three years of eligibility remaining provided their academic progress is satisfactory during their ineligible year. The rulings, which stipulate that the nation's 277 Division I college and universities meet the requirements, became effective in August 1986. P48 has thus taken a small step in communicating to high school and college athletes that they must do well academically if they wish to receive athletic scholarships.