The families of six Hawaii players on the University of Oregon football team qualified to be among the first recipients of a major shift by the NCAA that allows for a reimbursement of travel expenses to championship events.

Parents or guardians will receive up to $1,250 each to cover travel, hotel and meal expenses while attending the Jan. 12 College Football Playoff between Oregon and Ohio State in Arlington, Texas.

While the NCAA announced a waiver that would permit up to $3,000, the CFP said its reimbursement this year will be capped at $1,250 per parent or guardian.

Still, Oregon defensive lineman DeForest Buckner of Waianae said, "I’m stoked. That’s good news."

His parents and brother attended the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl and will be at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Buckner said.

Alana Deppe-Mariota, mother of quarterback Marcus Mariota, said, "So many families are unable to watch their sons play, this is a huge step in the right direction."

It is a breakthrough move by the much-criticized NCAA, which had previously required families to be responsible for their own expenses despite the huge revenue taken in by the NCAA and its member institutions for some championship events.

The football playoff, for example, generates more than $600 million in TV revenue. The NCAA and ESPN are in a $500 million, 14-year multimedia agreement for basketball.

"We know how expensive travel can be, so we’re pleased to provide assistance for parents or guardians who want to see their sons play in the first College Football Playoff National Championship," Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP, said in a release. "It will make the game even more special for the student-athletes to know that their family members are receiving this benefit."

NCAA President Mark Emmert said, "Championship experiences like the Final Four create memories of a lifetime for student-athletes, and we want to make sure their families are there to support and celebrate with them."

The NCAA said a pilot program will also help cover expenses for players’ families to travel to the men’s and women’s basketball final fours this spring.