National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

January 26, 1998

MEN'S BASKETBALL


At midseason, the trend in Division I men's basketball is up.

Field-goal shooting, which hit historical lows last year, is at 43.86 percent. The figure is hardly high, but if it holds, it would be only the second increase in field-goal percentage since 1988 (it increased from 44.3 to 44.4 from 1994 to 1995). Three-point shooting, which has been in a similar free fall, also is up slightly. Free-throw shooting is lower than the final 1997 figure but is up compared to midseason of 1997.

Among conferences, the Pacific-10 leads the nation in scoring average at 78.9, while the Ivy League is tops in scoring defense, allowing only 63.87 points per game.

Next week: Women's trends.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE


Divisions review policy on committee air travel

The NCAA Executive Committee has approved a new policy that will permit committee members in all divisions to fly first class if the direct route between the site of origin and the destination is more than 1,200 miles.

The new policy will take effect February 1.

The Executive Committee also approved eliminating the $100 stipend currently paid to committee members while increasing the per diem allowance from $40 to $75 to better cover out-of-pocket expenses.

In October, the Executive Committee recommended that all divisions eliminate first-class travel because it would save an estimated $600,000 annually for the Association.

While there was general agreement on the financial benefits of the proposal among division governance bodies, a consensus emerged that volunteer committee members traveling long distances should be able to use first-class travel.

The Division I Management Council almost unanimously approved a recommendation that committee travel should be coach unless the equivalent mileage of a trip exceeded three hours. Other governance bodies eventually reached similar conclusions.

Staff contact: Keith Martin.

DIVISION II

CEOs modify approach for certifying core courses

The Division II Presidents Council has approved a Division II Management Council recommendation that the presidents adopt revised core-course procedures designed to permit high-school principals to determine which of their schools' courses meet the NCAA's definition of a core course.

The new approach was developed jointly by the Division II Academic Requirements Com-mittee and the Division I Academics/Eligibility/ Compliance Cabinet, with participation by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Committee and the Divisions I and II Core-Course Review Subcommittee.

Staff contact: Nancy L. Mitchell.

DIVISION III

Appellate body established for infractions cases

The Division III governance structure has agreed to establish a committee composed of Management Council and Presidents Council representatives that will serve as the final appellate body for Division III infractions cases.

An infractions appeals committee will be composed of five members of the Management Council and two members of the Presidents Council, one of which will serve as chair.

Staff contact: Daniel T. Dutcher.

RESEARCH

Academic performance up for prospective student-athletes

NCAA research indicates that the academic performance of prospective Division I student-athletes has increased since the implementation of new standards. At the same time, the percentage of student-athletes who do not meet the standards also has increased.

Three reports, which will be mailed to the membership later this month, compare data from the 1996 group of prospective student-athletes with data from the 1995 group of prospects. They focus on the incoming preparation levels of prospects, measured by their high-school core grade-point averages and test scores, and on the eligibility status of prospects as determined by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.

Staff contact: Todd Petr.

STUDENT-ATHLETES

Leadership conference nomination deadline at hand

Nominations for student-athletes to attend the 1998 NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference May 25-28 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, must be postmarked by January 30.

Nomination forms for the event, presented by Entergy Corporation, were mailed in November from the NCAA national office to 400 institutions in all three membership divisions.

The forms were mailed to all Division I members participating in the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program and to 60 institutions each in Divisions II and III, selected randomly.

The first NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference was held last spring.

Staff contact: Ronald J. Stratten.