The NCAA News - News and Features

July 7, 1997

Division I Board seeks reaction to earnings issue

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors is in the process of asking chief executive officers throughout Division I for reaction to 1997 Convention Proposal No. 62.

The Board, which met June 24 in La Jolla, California, affirmed its support for the idea behind Proposal No. 62: permitting student-athletes to be employed and earn up to the cost of attendance during the academic year.

However, the Board also addressed concerns expressed by institutions and conferences relating to the implementation of the legislation and to possible unintended consequences.

For example, the Big Ten Conference earlier had asked the NCAA Administrative Committee to place a one-year moratorium on the implementation of the legislation. The Administrative Committee in turn referred the matter to the Board of Directors. Other conferences also had discussed the legislation at their spring meetings.

The Board noted that the questions have arisen at a difficult time. The legislation becomes effective August 1, the same date that the Board becomes an official governing body.

The Board agreed to discuss the matter further at its August 12 meeting. Although the legislation technically will have become effective by then, in reality it would have no practical application at that time since the academic year would not have begun. The legislation applies only to employment during the academic year.

In another matter, the Board reviewed the Association's involvement in Division I-A postseason football and approved the following statement:

"The Board reviewed matters related to Division I-A postseason football and reached the following conclusions:

"1. It was pleased to learn that the 'Super Alliance' had reached agreement to involve additional Division I-A members in the bowl games that are part of the alliance.

"2. The NCAA will continue to be a forum for members' discussion of issues concerning Division I-A postseason football.

"3. It has requested that the Division I Management Council review issues related to Division I-A postseason football and make recommendations to the Board concerning the appropriate role of the NCAA.

"4. At this time, there was no support from the Board for an NCAA Division I-A Football Championship."

The matter will be discussed again at the Board's October meeting when the agenda for Convention discussion items is formed.

The Board also addressed matters relating to Division I restructuring. It determined that the terms of Board and Management Council members shall expire at the end of the January meeting and in conjunction with the annual NCAA Convention and that newly selected members may attend, as observers, the January meeting of the group on which they will serve.

The group that will compose the new NCAA Executive Committee also met. It has elected Samuel H. Smith, president of Washington State University, as Executive Committee chair.

Smith has been chair of the NCAA Presidents Commission since January 1996 and has been a member of the Commission since 1994.

The Presidents Commission also met June 24-25. The full group conducted little business, with almost all action instead being taken on a division-by-division basis.

Because it was the last meeting of the Commission, the seven chairs of the body were honored at a dinner. Those able to attend (and the institution they represented) were John W. Ryan, Indiana University; Martin A. Massengale, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; R. Gerald Turner, University of Mississippi; Judith E. N. Albino, University of Colorado; and Smith. John B. Slaughter, president of the University of Maryland, College Park, and Gregory M. St. L. O'Brien, University of New Orleans, were unable to attend.