The good news for NCAA Division I coaches is that it might be easier to accept "borderline" student-athletes. The bad news is that it is certainly going to be tougher to keep them eligible.

That is the simplest way to describe the new changes in initial eligibility and continuing eligibility requirements as passed by the NCAA. Schools now have more flexibility with a sliding scale that could allow a student to earn eligibility with an SAT score as low as a 400 -- or with a core GPA as low as a 2.0.

"I think the nature of it allows you to recruit a student-athlete that hasn't achieved as much on a standardized test or maybe even in the classroom," said John Lilly, the recruiting coordinator for the FSU football team. "But it is going to demand even more out of that student-athlete once they get to college. So can you sign someone who hasn't achieved as much in

the classroom in high school? Yes, but if they are achieving at the highest level that they can then maybe they will have a hard time once they get to college."

On the surface, the proposed changes might seem logical.

Prospective student-athletes with lower test scores can meet minimum eligibility requirements by earning a higher GPA in their core classes (English, math, science and social science).

For example, the old scale did not grant eligibility to any athlete who did not score at least an 820 on the SAT or a 68 on the ACT. Now, a student with a 2.7 GPA in core classes can become eligible with an SAT score of 730 (or an ACT score of 60).

The new sliding scale grants eligibility to a student with an SAT score of 400 (and ACT score of 37) as long as the core GPA is at a 3.55 or above.

"You can go down through a long list of guys who may not have gotten in under the old standards but who would get in easily on the new standards," Lilly said. "And these guys have succeeded in college not only at Florida State but at a lot of places. Those are the kids that stand to benefit the most from this type of rule."

Emanuel would have easily qualified under the new standards.

But just because a student meets eligibility requirements does not mean schools will automatically accept them for enrollment.

Mark Meleney, the Director of Athletic Academic Support, said the NCAA's minimum eligibility standards should not be confused with FSU's standards for admission.

In other words, it is highly unlikely that FSU would admit any student-athlete with an SAT score of 400 even though the NCAA now says that is OK to do so. But students who fall just short of the former 820 standard might be admitted if admissions officers think other criteria show the

student can find success in a college classroom.

"It's difficult for me to be a spokesperson on this because this is an admissions issue," Meleney said. "But Florida State's position is that we will continue to evaluate every candidate for admission and determine their chance of success on multiple criteria. Florida State's stance is that every applicant is reviewed on an individual basis and other factors are considered, not just two determining factors like GPA and test score."

The NCAA has also mandated that student-athletes add another core class for the required GPA component.

Previously, a student was graded on performance in 13 core classes. Those core classes consist of:

The new rule forces students to pick up an additional core class from foreign language, nondoctrinal religion/philosophy or computer science -- and will eliminate computer science courses for consideration for students enrolling in college on or after August 1, 2005.

Beginning in 2008, student-athletes must have a satisfactory GPA in 16 core classes, adding another year of math (Algebra I or higher) and a fourth year of additional classes from foreign language or nondoctrinal religion/philosophy offerings.

The higher a student's GPA is in these core classes, the lower the minimum test score required to meet initial eligibility standards.

A student with a 3.0 GPA in core classes needs only a 620 SAT score (or 52 ACT score) to meet the NCAA's standards for eligibility.

"But again, that doesn't guarantee admission into a university," Meleney said.

While it may be easier for students to meet the NCAA's initial eligibility requirements, it will be much tougher for students to maintain their eligibility once they are enrolled.

The NCAA has toughened its satisfactory progress rules and now requires a GPA check after each semester a student is enrolled.

A student must have at least a 1.8 GPA with 24 credits earned after the freshman year -- and only six of those hours can be considered remedial courses.

Previously, a first-year student needed to complete 24 credit hours to maintain eligibility. Up to 12 of those hours could have been in remediation work and there was no minimum GPA requirement.

After the sophomore year, student-athletes must complete 40 percent of the coursework needed for a degree -- and it must be done with at least a 1.9 overall GPA.

After the junior year, student-athletes must complete 60 percent of degree requirements with at least a 2.0 overall GPA.

The athlete must maintain the minimum GPA each semester and will be ruled ineligible if the minimum is not met.

The new standards leave little, if any, room for error for youngsters who might need a semester or two to adjust to college life.

"You can go back and look at my college transcript and my first semester wasn't that good either," Lilly said. "You've got to learn how to manage your time and decide what's important and what's not. Now it puts a little bit more on the student-athlete and our support staff and our coaches to make sure they realize the importance of it from Day One."

Though the changes might not appear significant, they will make a huge impact on a small percentage of FSU's student-athlete population.

In a presentation to FSU's Athletic Board on Oct. 8, Meleney said that the new standards will put a tremendous burden on student-athletes on both ends of the spectrum.

In other words, a Chemistry major with a 4.0 GPA could decide to switch to Business but would be ineligible unless he had 72 hours of Business coursework completed before making the switch.

Meleney did say the NCAA is considering making special exemptions for students who decide to change degrees and who are in good academic standing, but those exemptions are not guaranteed.

The satisfactory progress rule will also impact how transfer students -- from both junior colleges and four-year schools -- as well as international students are granted eligibility.

The changes will basically make it tougher for FSU to grant eligibility to transfers from out-of-state schools, including junior colleges, because students entering their junior year must have 48 applicable credit hours for a degree.

In theory, a junior-college transfer with an A.A. degree from an out-of-state junior college might have a 3.5 GPA -- but those hours might not be considered "degree applicable." That student would not be granted eligibility.

(Remember, Florida's junior colleges already mirror Florida's four-year schools in the types of curriculums offered so these changes should not impact in-state transfers.)

Meleney and Lilly both said junior colleges will make adjustments in their curriculums to help their students meet NCAA eligibility requirements.

"The junior colleges have already been very proactive to design a plan where they can get their kids on track to qualify," Lilly said. "They don't want to be out of business either, so they've come up with a solution for that."

The next phase of academic changes may be just around the corner -- and they might be even more painful for NCAA member institutions.

The Council of Presidents is considering a proposal that would freeze a scholarship at a school where a student-athlete becomes ineligible.

Under the proposal, if a player becomes academically ineligible, the athlete would have to sit out a full year before regaining eligibility. If the player transfers or is dismissed from school, then the school loses that scholarship for a full year.

Here is a summary of the new academic eligibility requirements. Prior to 2003, student-athletes needed to complete the following to maintain eligibility: