National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

June 30, 1997

DIVISION I INITIAL ELIGIBILITY


New initial-eligibility standards in Division I appear to have had a substantial -- but across-the-board -- effect on entering student-athletes.

Data collected by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse show a steady increase in the percentage of ineligible freshman student-athletes from the entering 1994 class (the last year with the old Prop 48 standards) to the 1995 class (an increase from 11 to 13 in the number of core courses) to the 1996 class (13 core courses, plus satisfying a sliding scale of test scores and grade-point averages).

Of the 6,030 African-Americans who appeared on an Institutional Request List (IRL) in 1996, 1,625 were ineligible -- 26.9 percent. That is the highest rate recorded for any ethnic group since the analysis of the Clearinghouse data began. The ineligible rate for African-Americans in the 1995 entering class was 16.3 percent.

The number of white student-athletes who were ineligible in the 1996 entering class was actually higher than the number of African-Americans who were ineligible -- 1,939 (out of 30,024 appearing on an IRL) vs. 1,625. However, the percentage of white student-athletes who were ineligible was only 6.5 percent, much lower than the 26.9 percent for Blacks in the same entering class.

Increased rates of ineligibility showed across economic levels. One interesting situation related to athletes from families earning more than $80,000 per year. That group was only slightly affected by the increase from 11 to 13 core courses in 1995 (up from 2.0 to 2.5 percent) but was substantially affected by the application of the sliding scale (2.5 percent ineligible up to 4.6 percent ineligible). During the same period, the percentage of ineligibles for student-athletes from families with incomes of less than $30,000 rose more consistently, from 9.8 percent ineligible to 14.7 percent to 22.2 percent.

TITLE IX


Congress considers requiring federal gender-data compilation

Legislation has been introduced in both houses of Congress that would require colleges and universities to report to the U.S. Department of Education how much they spend on men's and women's sports.

The proposed legislation also would require the Department of Education to publish the data.

The legislation, known as the Fair Play Act, would require the Education Department to publish the data annually on the Internet, establish a toll-free number for accessing the information and notify high schools that the information is available.

The legislation was introduced June 18 by Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Illinois, and Rep. Nita M. Lowey, D-New York.

Staff contact: Doris A. Dixon.

REVENUE DISTRIBUTION


Academic-enhancement fund mailed to Division I membership

Every Division I member institution recently received a check for $50,000 for the enhancement of academic support systems for student-athletes.

The payment, $15.25 million in all, is part of the 1997 NCAA Division I revenue-distribution plan.

In a memorandum accompanying the check, NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey noted that the NCAA Executive Committee has not established specific guidelines regarding permissible uses of academic-enhancement funds. However, he noted that the committee specified that the funds may not be used for scholarships for fifth-year student-athletes who have exhausted eligibility, for summer school tuition or for the purchase of course books. Institutions can use the funds for new or existing programs or services.

Staff contact: Keith E. Martin.

POSTSEASON FOOTBALL


Report says two conference reach agreement with alliance

The football bowl alliance agreed June 23 to virtually guarantee teams from the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA a bid to an alliance bowl if they are ranked in the top six, according to The Associated Press.

The agreement becomes effective in 1998.

If a WAC team doesn't qualify, the conference will receive $1.6 million under a revenue-sharing agreement. Conference USA also received a revenue-sharing agreement, but league officials did not immediately reveal what the offer was.

NATIONAL OFFICE


The financial group of the NCAA staff has been renamed Finance and Information Services. Several structural changes will be made in the group, which previously was known as Finance and Business Services.

Keith E. Martin, formerly director of accounting, will become director of finance and business operations. Among his responsibilities will be finance and operations management; accounting and financial controls; building and support services; travel management; Divisions I, II and III financial cabinets and committees; audit management; budgeting; and insurance and risk management.

Daniel W. Spencer, formerly director of data processing, will become director of information systems and technology. Spencer will coordinate voice, video, computing and Internet services.

On June 12, Suzanne M. Kerley was promoted to the retitled position of director of human resources (the position previously was known as director of operations). Her responsibilities include human resources, employee relations, benefits management, Project 2000 relocations, and compensation management.

In another change, the position of director of aviation will be eliminated. A position of travel analyst will be created. Also, the NCAA pilots will become part of the finance and business operations staff.