With the aim of improving officiating at the Divisions II and III levels, the NCAA Basketball Officiating Committee recommended and the NCAA Executive Committee has approved the establishment of an officiating program for those divisions.

An officiating improvement program has existed in Division I since 1986.

At its April 24-25 meeting in Chicago, the Basketball Officiating Committee agreed to recommend that each Division II and III basketball-playing conference be invited to send a representative to an annual meeting hosted by the NCAA to review pertinent officiating matters. This year's meeting will be September 21.

Divisions II and III conference commissioners will receive information on the program in early June.

Conferences that send a representative to the meeting will be eligible to receive a grant from the NCAA to improve officiating programs, either by establishing and maintaining a program for training and evaluation of officials or by developing a plan to recruit new officials.

At its August 1995 meeting, the Executive Committee allocated $100,000 for the establishment of a two-year pilot program for the improvement of Divisions II and III men's and women's basketball officiating.

The Basketball Officiating Committee also recommended to the Executive Committee that the practice of inviting a limited number of Divisions II and III officials to Division I regional clinics be continued. If approved, the number of officials invited would depend on available meeting space. The Executive Committee approved such a recommendation on a trial basis in 1995. Approximately 80 Divisions II and III officials attended the 1995 clinics.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Basketball Officiating Committee:
April 24-25/Chicago

* Approved dates and sites for the 1996 regional officiating clinics. Men's clinics will be held at the following sites: Dallas Airport Marriott, October 12; San Francisco Airport Marriott, October 13; Chicago O'Hare Marriott, October 19; Newark (New Jersey) Airport Marriott, October 20; Atlanta Airport Marriott, October 26; and Greensboro (North Carolina) Airport Marriott, October 27. Women's clinics will be held at the following sites: Salt Lake City Airport Hilton, October 5; Atlanta Airport Marriott, October 6; Dallas Airport Marriott, October 13; Newark Airport Marriott, October 26; and Chicago O'Hare Marriott, October 27.

* Agreed to invite Division I men's basketball coaches to the men's regional officiating clinics to discuss concerns regarding college basketball that are shared by officials. In 1995, one head coach attended each clinic for this purpose. The committee supported the concept of inviting possibly two, three or four head coaches to attend the clinics.

* Approved October 16, 1996, as the date for the 1996 officiating clinic video conferences for Division I men's and women's basketball coaches. The women's video conference will be 9-11 a.m. (Central time). The men's video conference will follow from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

* Agreed to revise procedures used by Division I conferences for verifying that head coaches viewed the video conference to include the requirement that the coach complete an evaluation form for the video conference.

* Agreed to conduct its 1997 meeting April 22-23 in Kansas City, Missouri.