The NCAA News - News and FeaturesAugust 18, 1997
Division I: Bowl-eligibility rule may be altered
Management Councils start with new structure The primary actions taken at the first official session of the Division I Management Council related matters of process, receiving the first reports from the new cabinets, and modifying or examining existing bylaws rather than breaking new legislative ground.
The group met July 28-29 in Denver.
The Management Council, acting on a proposal submitted by the Big Twelve Conference, initially approved legislation to permit Division I-A institutions to count one game against a Division I-AA opponent toward the six wins that are required to be eligible for postseason play in football.
The Management Council agreed that it could have recommended that the Division I Board of Directors approve the change as a Bylaw 30 modification at its August 12-13 meeting. However, the Management Council agreed that the change was significant enough that it should be circulated to the membership for comment, along with other legislation.
The Big Twelve proposal specified only that one victory against a I-AA opponent could count toward the six-victory standard. Since a number of I-AA programs do not provide athletically related aid, it is possible that the membership will suggest consideration of counting victories only against I-AA programs that offer a specified number of grants-in-aid.
The vote was 10-8 in favor of making the change, with only I-A institutions participating in the vote. (All votes are roll call; how each representative voted on all legislative matters will be reported when the Management Council minutes appear in The NCAA Register.)
The Management Council also took action concerning 1997 Convention Proposal No. 62, which would permit Division I student-athletes to earn up to the cost of attendance in employment income during the academic year. That legislation technically became effective August 1; however, it has no practical effects until school begins.
The Management Council first considered a proposal that would have supported a moratorium on the legislation, provided the Division I Board of Directors used its emergency authority to implement some version of Proposal No. 62 by the conclusion of the 1998 NCAA Convention. That proposal was defeated, 24-10.
Instead, the Management Council approved by a vote of 31-3 a proposal that "affirms its support for the concept of student-athletes being employed and earning up to the cost of attendance and its support for a one-year delay in the implementation of Proposal No. 62." The proposal also commits the Management Council to developing recommendations concerning the effective implementation of the legislation for the 1998-99 academic year. Those recommendations will be submitted to the Board of Directors for consideration at its January 1998 meeting.
Other business
On other significant legislative matters, the Management Council:
Asked the Board to reconsider the manner in which the Big West and Mid-American Conferences are represented on the Board of Directors. The conferences have one Board seat between them, with confusion resulting over how that position is to be filled. The interim solution has been for one conference to be represented at one meeting and the other at the next.
Opposed a recommendation from the Olympic Sports Liaison Committee to propose legislation to increase daily and weekly hour limitations on athletically related activities during the playing season from 20 to 24 hours per week and four to five per day for all individual Olympic sports.
Initially approved a legislative proposal to eliminate the employment restrictions (that is, five-year length of service, no previous employment as a head or assistant Division I basketball coach) related to the restricted-earnings position in basketball. If the Board eventually approves the change, the only restriction remaining on the restricted-earnings position would relate to recruiting.
In nonlegislative actions, the Management Council:
Approved with modification a recommendation from the marketing subcommittee of the Business/Finance Cabinet to create a basketball marketing subcommittee. As approved, the subcommittee includes five Business/Finance Cabinet members, two representatives from the Division I Men's Basketball Committee, two from the Division I Women's Basketball Committee, one from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, one from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, one from the Collegiate Commissioners Association and three other marketing experts from member institutions.
Directed the Division I Field Hockey Committee to modify the field for the 1997 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship to include six automatic qualification berths, one berth from a two-conference play-in and five at-large berths, noting that review of championships is the responsibility of the Championships/Competition Cabinet in the new structure, but that body is not in a position to make a timely review of the specific issue.
Approved on an interim basis the continuation of the Division I members of the Professional Sports Liaison Committee as a transition committee to continue the liaison relationships with various professional leagues while the Strategic Planning Cabinet evaluates the most effective ways to continue those relationships. Also, it denied a request to transfer some of that committee's former responsibilities to the Championships/Competition Cabinet.
Appointed Alice Gresham Bullock, Howard University, and Thomas E. Yeager, Colonial Athletic Association, to the Division I Committee on Infractions.
Appointed John J. Crouthamel, Syracuse University, chair of the Division I Football Issues Committee.
Referred to the exempted contests subcommittee of the Championships/Competition Cabinet a request from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics for a waiver of limitations concerning exempt preseason football contests (which limit each institution to competing in only one of the games in a four-year period) on the basis of pre-existing television contracts.
Recommended that the Board approve $40,000 in funding for a possible expansion of the bracket for the Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship for the 1997-98 academic year from eight teams to 12, contingent upon the action of the Championships/Competition Cabinet.
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