The NCAA News - News Features

Committee renders certification decisions for 15 schools

The NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification has announced decisions concerning the certification of 15 NCAA Division I member institutions.

In the committee's latest round of decisions, 13 schools were certified, one was certified with conditions and one school was not certified.

Those institutions receiving a designation of certified were College of Charleston; University of Evansville; North Carolina A&T State University; University of North Carolina, Wilmington; Ohio State University; Rider University; San Jose State University; Santa Clara University; Southern University, Baton Rouge; University of Tennessee, Chattanooga; Villanova University; Virginia Military Institute; and Western Carolina University. The institution receiving a designation of certified with conditions was Alcorn State University. The University of Texas, Pan American received a designation of not certified.

The conditions placed on Alcorn State's certification include submitting a plan to establish a more effective rules-compliance program, documenting specific responsibilities for complying with NCAA and conference rules, establishing a student-athlete advisory committee, and revision and further delineation of its gender-equity plan.

Texas-Pan American received a designation of not certified. This classification means that the institution is not considered to be operating its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Association's Division I membership and that problems identified during the course of the self-study and the peer-review team's evaluation were considered to be serious or pervasive by the Committee on Athletics Certification.

The committee outlined a series of corrective actions that Texas-Pan American must take before its certification status can change. Those actions include undergoing a formal and comprehensive evaluation of its rules-compliance program; developing a comprehensive institutional rules-compliance program; establishing a formal rules-education program; providing objective evidence that the director of athletics is exercising appropriate oversight; and involving appropriate campus constituencies in the formulation and monitoring of policies related to the conduct of the intercollegiate athletics program.

Texas-Pan American is expected to prepare a written report of actions taken to address these concerns. The report is to be submitted to the Committee on Athletics Certification no later than September 15, 1997. A campus evaluation also will take place in the fall of 1997. Following the submission of the report and the campus evaluation, the committee will re-evaluate the university's certification status.

At that time, the committee will determine whether the institution has made an effective effort to correct problems in its athletics program. If so, the committee will consider whether to change the institution's certification status.

If, however, the committee determines that serious problems remain in the athletics program, the institution may be placed in a restricted-membership category. In that event, the university would be ineligible for championships competition in all sports during that period.

The 15 colleges and universities completed a year-long certification process that all 305 Division I members will undergo within five years. A total of 101 institutions now have received certification decisions. The program's purpose is to ensure integrity in the institution's athletics operations and to assist athletics departments in improving their operations. Legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted by a vote of the Division I members at the 1993 NCAA annual Convention as a key part of the NCAA's reform agenda.

A designation of certified means that an institution has shown that it operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.

A designation of certified with conditions means that a college or university generally operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with the Division I operating principles but that problems were identified that were serious enough that full certification is withheld until those problems have been resolved.

An institution can request, within 15 calendar days, a hearing before the Committee on Athletics Certification. If it is still not satisfied, the institution may appeal to the Division I Steering Committee of the NCAA Council.