Thanks to new NCAA legislation, Nebraska could see a larger share of attrition regarding its football team.

Former center Michael Decker, who recently announced his departure from the football team but will remain at Nebraska, is an example of a one-time option allotted to programs changing coaches.

Aid After Departure of Head Coach, was passed and adopted by the NCAA last year and became effective on August 1, 2017. The rule allows for athletic programs to no longer count student-athletes toward the scholarship number, but for those former student-athletes to still receive financial aid in subsequent academic years.

The official wording of NCAA bylaw 15.5.1.6 reads like this:

A student-athlete who receives athletically related institutional financial aid in subsequent academic years after the departure of a head coach from the institution is not a counter, provided:

The student-athlete participated in the applicable sport and received athletically related institutional financial aid during the coach's tenure at the institution; and the student-athlete does not participate in the applicable sport during subsequent academic years at the institution.

This legislation had been in place just for men’s basketball, before a change to the legislation this past year, but with recent transitions at football last semester, and new coaches coming for men’s golf and men’s tennis, this will be the first opportunity it could take place at Nebraska.

Student-athletes who might not fit with the new scheme or system, could still opt to stay at Nebraska and have education paid for through graduation.

Nebraska’s Director for Compliance, Jamie Vaughn, said the school is still working through the legislation because of its newness, but believes it will be beneficial to all parties.

“It’s about as student-and-coach friendly piece of legislation that you can have,” he said. “For some athletes it may not be working out, but maybe that student doesn’t want to leave because they are close to graduating. It gives the student and the athlete an option to continue to have the student at the university, and not be in an awkward position where you are running people off. It allows students to stay and be on scholarship.”

Programs are then free to use those scholarships for other perspective student-athletes.

“As long as they do not participate with the team going forward, that scholarship does not have to count against the limit for the coaching staff per NCAA rules,” he said. “Football has 85 scholarships. If you have a guy that chooses to take this route and it is mutual and agreed upon with the coach, then that scholarship remains intact for however many years are left on the agreement, but it will not count against the 85.”

Vaughn said student-athletes who elect to remain with the school, but leave the athletic program, keep their current scholarship in full, which includes room and board, books, fees and other parts of the contract.

“You’re not participating in practice and weights and conditioning, but the length and duration of the scholarship remain in tact,” he said.

The scholarship remains, but so do the expectations for those former student-athletes.

“We still expect them to make academic progress, we still expect they’re going to follow the student code of conduct, we’re not going to treat them any differently,” he said. “They’re just not required to participate with the team any longer.”

The former student-athletes would still have access to all of the academic support, to their laptop, and if recovering from injuries, access to the trainers and medical care.

Teams and student-athletes may only pursue this option for a short amount of time under the transition of a new coaching staff.

“We have this summer for a decision with football,” he said. “The coaching transition was right before the start of the spring semester. We notified the Big Ten and said if we apply this rule in any way we want to make sure we know what the parameters are, and we all agreed the spirt of the rule gives the athletes and the coaches this spring to evaluate the situation before the start of fall camp.”

Nebraska football has seen some attrition already, with some players seeking new programs while continuing to play, and others choosing to stay at Nebraska and finish their education. More attrition is expected this spring and summer.