The NCAA News - News and Features

August 18, 1997

Committee examines communication in new structure

Communications-related functions in the new NCAA governance structure dominated discussions at the final NCAA Communications Committee meeting July 17-19 in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

The Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet and the Divisions II and III Management Councils will assume the committee's duties in the new governance structure.

The committee voted to suggest to the Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet and the Divisions II and III Management Councils that those bodies devote particular attention to the following items: NCAA Online, The NCAA News, release of Division I graduation rates, the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, certification and student-athlete welfare. The committee asked the staff to send to the division Management Councils a list of key issues that the committee has reviewed and handled over the past several years.

The committee also heard presentations from representatives of CBS Sports and ESPN, Inc., regarding television programming of collegiate athletics.

The committee reviewed ESPN/ESPN2's extensive schedule of 1997-98 college sports telecasts, including college football and men's and women's basketball games. ESPN2 will begin airing a new weekly college basketball show beginning in January 1998.

The committee noted that the ESPN/ESPN2 broadcast 89 college football games (ESPN televised 50) -- including 10 bowl games and three NCAA division championship games -- in 1996-97. The football package also included a Thursday Night Game of the Week on ESPN, Saturday afternoon and primetime games on both networks, and an extensive pay-per-view schedule. Other ESPN programming included a Heisman Trophy Preview, the Heisman Trophy Presentation and the College Football Hall of Fame Induction.

College basketball programming on ESPN/ESPN2 in 1996-97 consisted of 282 men's regular-season games (195 on ESPN) featuring 23 conferences, and 551/2 hours of women's basketball tournament coverage, including 52 hours of game action. In 1995-96, ESPN/ESPN2 provided 51 hours of NCAA women's tournament coverage.

CBS informed the committee of its efforts to expand its role with regard to television sports programming.

CBS Sports representatives also informed the committee that the Westinghouse Corporation, which owns CBS, has split the company's industrial side from the broadcast side, thereby making CBS a separate company. CBS also noted the network's new cable interests, specifically The Nashville Network and Eye on People, and reviewed the new cross-promotion capabilities of the recently expanded CBS Radio Network.

Other highlights

Communications Committee
July 17-19/Hilton Head, South Carolina