National Collegiate Athletic Association |
The NCAA News - News and FeaturesJune 16, 1997
Legislative assistance
1997 Column No. 24
Women's rowing NCAA institutions should note that during its April 14-15, 1997, meeting, the NCAA Council voted, effective August 1, 1997, to remove women's rowing from the list of emerging sports, inasmuch as the Association now sponsors a National Collegiate championship in that sport. This decision has the following consequences for students who currently participate or wish to participate in women's rowing: 1. Entering freshmen for the 1997-98 academic year. The Council's decision has no impact on this group of student-athletes, inasmuch as Constitution 3.2.4.4.1-(c) indicates that NCAA institutions that sponsor emerging sports must be in full compliance with all NCAA legislation anyway. Accordingly, such entering freshmen must be certified as eligible in the same manner as student-athletes competing in other sports at that institution (e.g., initial-eligibility standards, five-year rule, seasons-of-competition rule). [Please note that this information also is applicable to all those sports classified as emerging sports per Bylaw 20.02.5 (i.e., archery, badminton, bowling, squash, ice hockey, team handball, water polo and synchronized swimming).] 2. Continuing students who enrolled full time in a regular term prior to August 1, 1996. This group of students will be permitted to complete their remaining seasons of competition without being subject to the general and continuing-eligibility requirements (e.g., five-year rule) set forth in Bylaw 14.01.6.2. Please note that beginning with the 1995-96 academic year, students who compete in women's rowing in intercollegiate competition must count all seasons of competition, including seasons of varsity competition used prior to the 1995-96 academic year. Finally, a student-athlete would not have utilized a season of competition if she competed only on an institution's club team (and the institution did not conduct a varsity program in women's rowing). 3. Continuing students (not currently enrolled during the previous academic year) who wish to re-enroll beginning with the 1997-98 academic year and thereafter. This class of student-athletes will be held accountable for all applicable NCAA eligibility rules, regardless of whether initial enrollment occurred prior to August 1, 1996. For example, a student who first enrolled full time beginning with the 1990-91 academic year, and who has not been enrolled in subsequent academic years, would be held responsible for compliance with the five-year rule if she wished to compete during the 1997-98 season and thereafter. Under these circumstances, the student in question would have no remaining eligibility, inasmuch as her five-year period of eligibility would have expired at the conclusion of the 1995-96 academic year.
Division I women's basketball evaluations Division I institutions should note that in accordance with Bylaw 30.11.2-(k), it is permissible in the sport of Division I women's basketball to evaluate prospects who are competing in the Amateur Athletics Union (AAU) women's national basketball championship competition. In this regard, the NCAA Administrative Committee used its authority, pursuant to Bylaw 5.3.1.1, to approve a request from the NCAA Recruiting Committee to amend Bylaw 11.7.5.1 (effective immediately) to indicate that, in the sport of Division I women's basketball, it now is permissible for three institutional coaching staff members (i.e., the head coach and both full-time assistant coaches) to evaluate prospects during the AAU women's national-championship competitions that are conducted during the summer. According to information received from the AAU, the 1997 AAU girls' basketball national championships are scheduled as follows: Championship -- Dates -- Location AAU Girls' 15 & Under National -- 7/18/97- -- Shreveport, LA Basketball Championship -- 7/26/97 AAU Girls' 16 & Under National -- 6/27/97- -- Chattanooga, TN Basketball Championship -- 7/5/97 -- AAU Girls' 17 & Under National -- 6/27/97- -- Chattanooga, TN Basketball Championship -- 7/5/97 AAU Girls' 18 & Under National -- 6/27/97- -- Chattanooga, TN Basketball Championship -- 7/5/97 AAU Girls' Basketball Junior -- 8/1/97- -- Charlotte, NC Olympic Games National -- 8/9/97 Championship AAU Girls' 15 & Under National -- 7/1/97- -- Cocoa, FL Invitational Championship -- 7/6/97 -- This material was provided by the legislative services staff as an aid to member institutions. If an institution has a question or comment regarding this column, such correspondence should be directed to Richard C. Perko, legislative assistant, at the NCAA national office. This information is available on the Collegiate Sports Network.
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