The NCAA News - News and Features

May 19, 1997

Automatic qualification, Final Four financial issues top I men's meeting

The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee reviewed automatic-qualification criteria and Final Four financial obligations for host institutions/local organizing committees during its April 30-May 1 meeting in San Antonio.

The committee reviewed current projections for Division I conferences that will be eligible for automatic qualification for the 1998 Division I Men's Basketball Championship, noting that 30 conferences met the criteria.

As part of its review, the committee will survey Division I conferences to determine if current automatic-qualification requirements are appropriate. The NCAA Executive Committee in 1989 mandated that 30 of the 64 championship berths be filled through automatic qualification, a policy that was approved through the 1998 season.

The Division I Men's Basketball Committee is soliciting input from conferences to determine if changes in the automatic-qualification requirements are needed for the 1998-99 season and thereafter. The committee will distribute surveys later this month and review results during its June meeting.

In addition, as part of preparing specifications for Final Four hosts beginning in 2003, the committee reviewed its policy regarding financial obligations for Final Four local organizing committees. At issue is whether or not those obligations should continue to be met by the host institution/local organizing committee or be absorbed in the championship budget.

The committee will survey representatives of selected Final Four host cities and also will discuss results of that survey in June.

The committee also met with representatives of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and reviewed many issues of mutual interest, including various options for revising the length and number of timeouts in an effort to reduce the length of tournament games. Those options included the use of a four-quarter format with television timeouts at the six- and three-minute marks.

While taking no action on this issue, the committee agreed to continue to review these options.

In another action, the committee advised the NABC that in cases of serious misconduct by coaches, the committee plans to suspend coaches from competing in one or more tournament games rather than apply financial penalties.

The committee believes that such penalties are more appropriate than financial penalties, particularly for on-court misconduct.

Other highlights

Division I Men's Basketball Committee
April 30-May 1/San Antonio