National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - Digest

May 20, 1996

DIVISION III

Task force seeks feedback on subdivision of championships

A survey requesting feedback on five proposals for subdividing Division III championships in team sports is going out to the Division III membership this week from the Division III Task Force to Review the NCAA Membership Structure.

At a meeting May 8, the task force discussed models for the division's championship structure that would provide a better ratio of participation to member institutions and bring the championships in line with the division's composition.

The task force plans to review responses to the survey during a June 8 meeting in Marco Island, Florida.

In other actions at its recent meeting, the task force agreed to recommend proposed legislation for the 1997 NCAA Convention to extend the current provisional-membership period from three years to four.

It also recommended increasing the size of the Division III Membership Council from 17 to 19 members, in order to permit two Division III representatives of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to join the Council as voting members.

Staff contact: Daniel T. Dutcher.

REGIONAL SEMINARS

Seminars conclude with sessions in Boston, southern California

This year's NCAA regional seminars -- which are designed to enhance rules compliance -- will conclude during the next two weeks with sessions in Boston and in southern California.

The seminars will be May 22-24 in Boston at the Park Plaza Hotel and May 29-31 in Newport Beach, California, at the Newport Beach Marriott.

This year's seminars began with a May 8-10 session in St. Louis.

Staff contact: Chris Gates.

AGENTS

Special committee receives proposals for dealing with agents

A range of proposals for dealing with the increasing problem of unscrupulous sports agents and their dealings with student-athletes were presented to the NCAA Special Committee on Agents and Amateurism at a meeting May 10 in Baltimore.

The committee heard four presentations representing various perspectives on the issue and suggesting possible resolutions.

Those perspectives were presented by Talbot D'Alemberte, president of Florida State University; Ed Garvey, president of the Institute of Sports Attorneys; Len Elmore, president of Precept Sports and Entertainment and a former all-American basketball player at the University of Maryland, College Park; and Mark Rodgers, an agent and sports attorney with Stephens Sports Management, Inc.

The special committee also reviewed "restrictive" and "relaxed" models for regulation of agents that were prepared by the NCAA staff.

The committee will meet again July 17-18 in Kansas City, Missouri, and is hoping to prepare proposed legislation for the 1997 NCAA Convention. The committee deferred action on amateurism issues until after July.

Staff contact: S. David Berst.

BOWL GAMES

New Zealand bowl site earns certified status

The first bowl game to be played on foreign soil is among 19 postseason football contests that the NCAA Special Events Committee has recommended for certification next season.

If approved by the NCAA Council, the Haka Bowl will be played at 8 p.m. December 26 (Eastern time and date) in Auckland, New Zealand.

Staff contact: David E. Cawood.