National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

January 27, 1997

SOFTBALL

First softball rules book available for purchase

The 1997 NCAA Softball Rules is available to purchase. The rules book, which costs $4, will be used in all NCAA competition beginning with the 1997 season.

In January 1996, the NCAA Convention approved the formation of the Women's Soft-ball Rules Committee. Since that time, members of the committee have been developing the playing rules. In the past, NCAA schools have followed rules written by the Amateur Softball Association.

The book may be obtained by contacting NCAA Publishing, P.O. Box 7347, Overland Park, Kansas 66207-0347 or by calling 913/339-1900.

Staff contact: Laurie Bollig.


CHAMPIONSHIPS

Convention votes to protect Olympic-sport championships

The NCAA voted to protect championships in Olympic sports from discontinuation in one of several significant actions on the final day of the 1997 Convention January 14 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The membership agreed to protect any National Collegiate or division championship in an Olympic sport that otherwise might be subject to discontinuation under legislation requiring minimal sponsorship of a sport by NCAA schools.

This year's action ensures continuation of several championships that either do not meet minimum-sponsorship-percentage requirements in Bylaw 18 or are perilously close to failing to meet the requirements.

Those championships include National Collegiate championships in men's gymnastics and men's water polo.

The men's gymnastics championships currently lack sufficient sponsorship under Bylaw 18 requirements, but were temporarily protected by a moratorium on the discontinuation of National Collegiate and division championships that was enacted in 1995 and renewed last year through the 1998-99 academic year.

Staff contact: Stephen A. Mallonnee.

DIVISION III

Membership prefers already-planned enhancements

The Division III membership has indicated a strong preference for restricting championships changes to enhancements that already are planned.

In a straw vote taken during the Division III business session at the 1997 NCAA Convention, about 60 percent expressed a preference for staying with the planned enhancements. The remainder indicated they would prefer to develop an alternative model for either subdividing or subgrouping the championships.

Staff contact: Daniel T. Dutcher.

HONORS

ESPN to televise highlights of 1997 NCAA honors dinner

Highlights of the 1997 NCAA honors dinner will be carried on ESPN beginning at 2 p.m. EST January 30.

This is the only time the program will be shown.

At the dinner, William Porter "Billy" Payne, president of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, was honored with the NCAA's Theodore Roosevelt Award, the Association's highest award.

Staff contact: James A. Marchiony.

CONVENTION ATTENDANCE

From 1978 to 1997

Total attendance at the 1997 NCAA Convention was 2,687, which breaks the record that was set at the 1996 event in Dallas.

Because Division I no longer will use the Convention for legislative purposes, the new mark probably will stand as the all-time record for the foreseeable future. Effective August 1, the new governance system will take effect. Divisions II and III will continue to use a one-institution, one-vote approach, but Division I will do its business through a system based on conference representation.

The growth of the NCAA Convention has been remarkable. As recently as 1975, the event was attended by fewer than 1,000 delegates and visitors. This year, there were almost that many registered voters alone.

Attendance surpassed 1,000 for the first time in 1976 in St. Louis and broke through 2,000 in 1990 in Dallas.