The NCAA News Digest

March 3, 1997

• TITLE IX -- Brown announces appeal to U.S. Supreme Court
• DIVISION II -- II Management Council plans compliance enhancements
• INITIAL ELIGIBILITY -- SAT scoring change should have little effect
• SPORTS SCIENCES -- Funds to be available through speakers' grants

TITLE IX

Brown announces appeal to U.S. Supreme Court

Citing national interest in the outcome of the case, Brown University has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a speedy hearing of its Title IX appeal so that a final determination can be made on the issues and so that all colleges can frame their athletics programs accordingly.

The university earlier had been found to be in violation of Title IX by a U.S. district court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court is not obligated to hear the case and has in fact refused to hear appeals in similar cases in previous years (in such cases, the ruling of the appellate court stands). How-ever, most observers regard the Brown case as the definitive Title IX test case for several reasons, among them the fact that the university has in place an outstanding women's program.

Still, the issue to date has been whether the university's athletics program meets any part of the three-part compliance test laid down by the Office for Civil Rights.

The case rests primarily on the third prong of the test: whether the university is accommodating the interests and abilities of the underrepresented sex. The university's brief claims one sex may have less interest in athletics for reasons unrelated to discrimination. The lower courts have ruled otherwise.

Staff contact: Janet M. Justus

DIVISION II

II Management Council plans compliance enhancements

The NCAA Division II Management Council Transition Team is completing a three-pronged approach to strengthening Division II members' knowledge of and compliance with NCAA rules.

During a recent meeting, the Management Council Transition Team made specific recommendations for improving compliance services for active members.

Division II members already have approved an educational assessment program for provisional members, and last year the Presidents Council Transition Team and Division II subcommittee of the NCAA Presidents Commission approved the use of an enhanced Institu-tional Self-Study Guide.

Chief among the latest recommendations are an increase in the number of compliance reviews conducted by the NCAA staff at Division II institutions and the initiation of what is being described as "mini-regional seminars" that would be conducted in conjunction with regularly scheduled conference meetings.

Staff contact: Nancy L. Mitchell

INITIAL ELIGIBILITY

SAT scoring change should have little effect

A change in the scoring of one question on the SAT taken by students in October should not be an issue for students submitting information to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearing-house.

The case came to light in February when a student determined that the answer to a math question on the SAT was incorrect.

The SAT has advised the NCAA of the possibility of test scores being changed and indicated the difference would be a maximum of 30 points.

Because the only SAT scores involved were those on tests taken in October 1996, it was early enough in the NCAA initial-eligibility process so that it was not a factor. The clearinghouse does not review high-school students' records until after graduation in May or June.

The College Board was sending revised test scores to affected students immediately.

Staff contact: Kevin C. Lennon.

SPORTS SCIENCES

Funds to be available throught speakers' grants

The deadline for speakers' grants for the July-August 1997 period is June 20, 1997. For the fall term, it is August 4.

Grants of $500 are provided to a speaker who is not presently employed at the requesting university and who will make a presentation to athletics teams, trainers, coaches or administration. Institutions are limited in receiving no more than one grant per academic year.

All speakers' grants for the 1997 spring term have been granted.

For more information, contact Beth Binkley, sports sciences program coordinator.