The NCAA News - News and FeaturesSeptember 1, 1997
Division II: Legislative agenda shaping up for Convention
The Division II Presidents Council will sponsor at least 10 legislative proposals at the 1998 Convention and also will support two membership proposals.
During its August 12-13 meeting in Atlanta, the Presidents Council agreed to sponsor all but one of 11 proposals that originated this year in the Division II committee structure and subsequently were recommended by the Division II Management Council.
The presidents agreed to sponsor:
A proposal to require every Division II conference to form a conference student-athlete advisory committee as a condition of Division II membership.
A proposal to establish a Divisions I and II core-course review committee.
A proposal placing limits on contact practices in spring football.
Proposals to permit educational expenses to be provided to qualified student-athletes by national governing bodies in Olympic sports and to allow student-athletes in the sport of diving to practice beyond the end of the swimming practice season, provided those students engage in no more than a 144-day playing season.
A proposal to amend the conditions under which a student-athlete may enroll in a joint high-school/academic program for outstanding high-school students without starting a student's "eligibility clock."
Proposals to govern circumstances in which repayment or restitution is required as a condition for restoration of the eligibility of a student-athlete and to specify additional instances in which a violation would be classified as de minimus and would not render a prospective or enrolled student-athlete ineligible.
A Management Council proposal to reduce the number of equivalency scholarships for cross country and track at schools that sponsor only cross country. The proposal would limit such institutions to six cross country scholarships for women and five for men, compared to the 12.6 scholarships that currently are permissible for cross country and track.
A proposal to add two members to the Men's and Women's Tennis Committee to ensure that all Division II regions are guaranteed representation on the committee.
The Presidents Council declined at this time to sponsor a proposal intended to clarify gambling legislation in NCAA Bylaw 10.3. It requested further information regarding whether the intent of the proposal is to strengthen the legislation or only to incorporate recent legislative interpretations addressing circumstances in which placement of a wager or participation in gambling-related activities is prohibited.
The interpretations could be incorporated by the Division II Legislation Committee without sponsorship of a proposal at the Convention.
Two of eight proposals sponsored by the Division II membership for the 1998 Convention received support from the Presidents Council.
The presidents agreed to support companion proposals to permit annually the exemption of up to two contests against either foreign teams or "club" members of USA Basketball from limits on the permissible number of basketball contests. The Presidents Council noted that the proposals would not add to the total number of contests and would allow additional flexibility in scheduling.
The Presidents Council took no position during the meeting on six other membership proposals.
With the Presidents Council's actions to sponsor proposed legislation, Division II now is scheduled to consider 18 proposals during its January 12 business session at the Atlanta Convention.
In October, the Presidents Council will consider whether any of the proposals should be identified as being of special interest to chief executive officers at Division II institutions. Any proposals receiving that designation will be considered first during the business session.
Minutes of the Division II Presidents Council's meeting will be published in The NCAA Register.
The presidents' next meeting will be October 28 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Other highlights
Division II Presidents Council
August 12-13/Atlanta
Reviewed recommendations regarding an alternative approach to the current method of core-course review for initial-eligibility certification (see Division I Board of Directors story on page 1). The Division II Presidents Council expressed support for the review of the process and directed the Division II Management Council to review the concept of permitting the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse to accept high schools' determination of core courses for Division II student-athletes.
Appointed Marvalene Hughes of California State University, Stanislaus, as its representative on a Division II project team to review the role of student-athletes in the Division II governance structure and related matters (see story in August 18 issue of The NCAA News).
Declined to approve a Management Council recommendation to change the name of the Division II Eligibility Committee to the Division II Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. The Presidents Council indicated that it understands the Eligibility Committee's wish for a name that is more representative of the committee's work, but asked the Management Council to fully consider all alternatives.
Agreed to schedule a joint meeting with the Management Council in conjunction with the 1998 Convention.
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