The NCAA News - News and Features

February 3, 1997

News to end first-class mail service

Effective February 3, subscribers to The NCAA News no longer will be able to purchase a first-class mail upgrade.

Until now, subscribers were able to add $50 to the cost of a News subscription in order to have the publication delivered via first-class mail.

However, the relatively small number of first-class requests has created an administrative burden that outweighs the small gain that comes from first-class service, said David Pickle, editor-in-chief of the News.

"The gain in using first-class is not necessarily a large one in terms of how long it takes for the product to arrive," Pickle said. "Given how few people are using the option, we thought it best to eliminate the choice."

First-class upgrades that already have been purchased will be permitted to run their course (that is, if an upgrade was purchased beginning January 1, it will expire December 31).

The cost of a News subscription remains $12 a year for an individual from an NCAA institution, $15 for high-school and junior college students and personnel, and $24 for the general public. International subscriptions are $74 a year.

Pickle noted that the the NCAA website (www.ncaa.org) features all of the information contained in every issue of the News. Updates generally are made every Thursday afternoon, although holidays sometimes can move the update back to Friday.