National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

April 20, 1998

NCAA presidential groups set to meet April 21 in Indianapolis

The Division I Board of Directors will address several significant issues beyond the legislative part of its agenda when it meets April 21 in Indianapolis.

The group will look at budget issues, review current litigation and conduct a preliminary discussion of the 1999 NCAA Convention.

The Board also will consider several pieces of legislation that have been given second approval by the Division I Management Council.

Among the items that the Management Council was to consider at its April 14-15 meeting was Proposal No. 98-9, which is the legislation that would permit an academically eligible Division I student-athlete to earn employment income during the academic year, provided the income in combination with other financial aid included in the student-athlete's individual limit does not exceed the value of a full grant plus $2,000 at the institution. Also, the proposal would permit a student-athlete to receive on- or off-campus employment earnings up to $2,000 without considering such aid to be institutional financial aid, provided the employment is not in the athletics department or an athletics facility (owned or operated by the athletics department).

If the Management Council approves the proposal with no significant modification, it will move on to the Board for its approval. If it is significantly modified, it would go back to the membership for another 60-day comment period. If it is defeated by the Management Council, it would not be considered further unless it were reintroduced.

The proposals that were under consideration for second approval by the Management Council were Proposal Nos. 97-20 through 97-24, 97-26 through 97-30 and 98-9 through 98-11.

The complete listing of Division I legislation currently under consideration may be found in the membership services section of NCAA Online (www.ncaa.org).

Division II

The Division II Presidents Council will devote much of its April 21 meeting in Indianapolis to reviewing recommendations of the Division II Management Council, including anticipated actions involving:

  • A Division II Championships Committee recommendation to discontinue the geographic-proximity policy for all Division II championships beginning in 1999-2000.

  • Division II Membership Committee recommendations to assess a $2,500 application fee for provisional membership and establish a June 15 deadline for institutions seeking provisional membership during the coming academic year.

  • A Membership Committee recommendation that legislation be proposed at the 1998 Convention to require that new active members wait three years before receiving distributions from the Division II enhancement fund.

    The Presidents Council also will consider sponsorsing other proposed legislation, including proposals from the Division II Legislation Committee involving permissible financial aid for student-athletes and benefits for student-athletes' families, as well as a revision of Constitution 4.6.2 to formally delegate responsibility for review of infractions appeals and Administrative Review Panel cases to the Division II Management Council.

    The Presidents Council also plans a discussion of the role of Division II conference offices in the new governance structure.

    Division III

    At its April 21 meeting in Indianapolis, the Division III Presidents Council is expected to review many of the issues that the Management Council discussed at its recent meeting in Orlando.

    One of the issues likely to come before the Division III President's Council is a proposed expansion of the division's postseason championship opportunities in football.

    The Division III Championships Committee has recommended that 16 teams continue to play for the national championship, while eight teams play bowl games. At press time, the Division III Management Council was considering this proposal.

    The Presidents Council also is expected to review automatic-qualification principles for Division III championships.

    Like the Management Council, the Presidents Council is expected to examine the Division III Strategic Plan and review the progress Division III committees have made toward fulfilling the plan.

    The Presidents Council is also expected to review results of a Convention survey and discuss the creation of a Division III ad hoc Convention planning committee.