National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

June 9, 1997

NCAA DRUG-TESTING RESULTS

YEAR-by-Year




The percentage of positive tests in the NCAA drug-testing program returned to its historical level in 1995-96. The percentage of positive tests spiked at 1.5 percent in the 1994-95 academic year, which was the highest positive rate in the program's history. However, in 1995-96, the positive rate was back down to 1.2 percent -- the second highest positive rate recorded but more in line with previous results. In 1995-96, 141 of 11,498 student-athletes tested produced a positive result. The highest rate of positives was found in testing at NCAA championships and postseason football games.

NATIONAL OFFICE


Indianapolis chosen as new home for NCAA

The NCAA announced May 31 that its future home will be in Indianapolis.

Samuel H. Smith, president of Washington State University and chair of the NCAA Presidents Commission, revealed that the national office will be in White River State Park on the southwest corner of downtown Indianapolis. Although the new building probably will be constructed on property currently owned by the Indianapolis Power and Light Company, it is possible that it could be built at a slightly larger site currently occupied by a paper company.

The NCAA 2000 working group, which was charged with evaluating sites, recommended Indianapolis by a vote of 6-1; the Joint Policy Board voted 7-1 to make the move.

NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey said he hopes the move will take place in August 1999. If the facility is not finished by then, the move likely would take place in the spring of 2000.

Plans for the new facility are only in the conceptual stage, but at the moment, a 153,000-foot national office is envisioned, with another 20,000 square feet for a nearby Hall of Champions. The current national office has 147,000 square feet, including the Hall of Champions and a floor not currently used by the NCAA.

Staff contact: Wallace I. Renfro.

TITLE IX


Women's law center files complaints against 25 schools

The National Women's Law Center has filed sex-discrimination complaints against 25 colleges and universities based on distribution of scholarship dollars.

The complaints were filed with the Office for Civil Rights. The National Women's Law Center said it is seeking to illustrate how far schools still need to go to provide equity in athletics.

Representatives of several of the schools disagreed with the law center's claims and asserted that they actively are seeking equity in scholarships.

Until this action, the focus of Title IX enforcement activity has been the three-part test for determining if a school is in compliance with "accommodation of interests and abilities" -- participation proportionate to enrollment, history and continuing practice of program expansion for the underrepresented sex, or fully and effectively accommodating the underrepresented sex.

But Title IX actually includes 13 program areas that can be reviewed to determine if an institution is in compliance, including athletics scholarships.

The law requires scholarship dollars to be awarded to women and men at the same proportion as their respective rate of participation in the intercollegiate athletics program.

For example, if 35 percent of a school's varsity athletes are women, then at a minimum, the school must award about the same proportion of its scholarships to women. A school could meet the scholarship requirement while not being in compliance in proportionality because the scholarships element is based on the number of female athletes.

Staff contact: Janet M. Justus.

PUBLICATIONS


Eligibility, financial aid and recruiting guides available

The NCAA Guide to Eligibility, Guide to Financial Aid and Guide to Recruiting have been mailed to the membership.

The publications were mailed May 7 and were accompanied by a memorandum that cited a $5 purchase price for additional copies. The correct price, however, is $6.

For information on ordering additional copies, contact NCAA circulation at 913/339-1900.

DIVISION II


Survey on financial issues due at national office by June 13

Division II members are reminded that a survey to aid in determining how to allocate an anticipated annual surplus in the division budget and whether to revise the current method for distributing the $3 million Division II en-hancement fund should be returned to the national office by June 13.

For more information, see the May 19 issue of The NCAA News.

Staff contact: Nancy L. Mitchell.