Delany wants discussion about academic focus, isn't proposing freshman ineligibility

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany presented a plan last month that would make freshmen ineligible, but backed off the idea Wednesday.

Delany told Mitch Sherman of ESPN he was merely trying to get schools talking about the issue.

"That is not a proposal," Delany said. "It may never be a proposal. But is a great pivot point to have this discussion."

Delany hopes to better prepare freshmen for the academic aspect of college.

"The most important thing is there be a discussion about how prepared the student is, how the school accommodates that preparedness and how it all works," Delany said.

Freshman ineligibility was abolished in 1971. It doesn't appear likely to generate enough momentum to make a comeback, but Delany is happy that the issue is being discussed.

"There's no simple answer. There's no one answer. This is not an answer standing by itself. And it's not ready. It's not mature enough to be a proposal. If it were, it would be a proposal. Instead, it's an effort to encourage a discussion about the importance of education. And it's happening, so for that, we're happy."