The date was Jan. 15, 2016, long before anyone conceived of a 16-team College Football Playoff, a transfer portal or seven-figure NIL deals for replacement-level basketball players. The place was San Antonio, where NCAA officials and college administrators gathered for their annual convention. And the topic; oh boy, was it a hot one.

By the second year of so-called “autonomy” for the Power Five conferences – a power grab that theoretically allowed the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 to expand athletes’ benefits without being slowed down by smaller schools – they were already out of big, controversial ideas.

But there was one issue creating significant debate within the room: A proposal that would allow schools to pay for lodging, meals and entertainment for up to four family membe

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