I thought Dennis Dodd???s article yesterday on CBSSportsline.com was off base.

In criticizing the NCAA for its extra-benefit rules that prevent student-athletes from receiving assistance that wouldn???t be available to members of the regular student body, Dodd ignores a number of crucial points.

Dodd shares the story of Juan Garnier, a junior walk-on football player at Ohio State. Garnier???s mother works three jobs to send him to school, since he hasn???t received an athletics scholarship from the Buckeyes. It???s an emotional story and I give the writer credit for his obvious compassion.

There???s no question that people would want to help the Garnier family, and I understand Dodd???s frustration that NCAA rules don???t allow for it. He believes Juan and his mother should be permitted to accept donations from members of the public to help them with their financial struggles.

Dodd???s column focuses on the fact that the NCAA restricts its struggling student-athletes from receiving financial help because the organization doesn???t want to allow boosters to corrupt the game. This is partially true. If Garnier and others were permitted to accept donations from members of the public, wealthy boosters would most certainly take advantage of the rule and provide prospective and current student-athletes with advantages that members of the regular student body aren???t afforded.

What Dodd doesn???t mention, and why his piece is misleading, is that the NCAA does provide extra financial assistance to both scholarship and walk-on student-athletes who are in need. According to the NCAA???s 2006-07 Revenue Distribution Plan, more than $12 million was allocated to conference offices last August through the Special Assistance Fund to help student-athletes with special financial needs. The fund is primarily intended to meet the student-athlete???s needs for which financial assistance isn???t otherwise available.

Additionally, more than $27 million will be sent to Division I conference offices this August as part of the Student-Athlete Opportunity Fund. This fund is intended to provide direct benefits to student-athletes and their families. It may be used for summer school, educational supplies, supplemental health insurance, clothing and other areas where student-athletes might need help. The amount of money allocated to the fund increases in value by 13 percent annually.

It???s also important to note that Federal Pell Grants are available for low-income students in order to promote access to a college education.

While the money accessible for Garnier through these initiatives certainly doesn???t rival the donations he might receive from the public due to his status as an Ohio State football player, Dennis Dodd should have mentioned its availability. Additionally, why doesn???t he note the fact that Ohio State and other Bowl Championship Subdivision football programs have 85 athletics scholarships to allocate among their players? While Dodd is harsh in his attack on the NCAA, why not suggest that Ohio State could simply find a scholarship for one of its own?