National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

April 20, 1998




The Division I membership is taking a wait-and-see attitude on whether to attend the 1999 NCAA Convention in San Antonio. A survey of Division I members showed that 45 percent of those responding had not decided whether to attend next year's event. Of those responding, 76 percent attended the 1998 Convention in Atlanta.

DIVISION I

Financial aid hearing set for May 11 in Chicago

The Division I Financial Aid Committee will conduct a May 11 hearing in Chicago at which several concepts will be discussed to address difficulties that NCAA financial aid limitations may pose for institutions as they seek to comply with Title IX.

The hearing will solicit views on the committee's suggestions, which are intended to address the scholarship-equity issue that has arisen recently.

The U.S. Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education has expressed concern that institutions offering a full complement of scholarships in women's sports still may violate Title IX financial aid requirements.

Many of the concerns stem from the NCAA's distinction between head-count and equivalency sports and how scholarships in those sports are allocated among men and women.

The hearing will be 2-5 p.m. at The Westin Michigan Avenue in Chicago, which is the same site as the NCAA Title IX seminar that will be conducted May 12-13.

Representatives of OCR, athletics administrators organizations, NCAA governing sports committees, coaches' associations and other parties interested in financial aid issues related to Title IX are being encouraged to attend.

Staff contact: Lynn M. Holzman.

WRESTLING

Committee recommends new weight class, weigh-in times

The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee has recommended changes in weight classes and weigh-in times for next season.

The recommendations, designed to increase the safety of student-athletes in the sport, were developed in conjunction with selected members of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safe-uards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

All of the recommendations were the result of extensive discussion that focused on three guiding principles developed by the competitive-safeguards committee:

1. Any and all weight control practices that could potentially risk the health of the participant should be eliminated from wrestling. To accomplish that goal, incentives to attempt those practices should be minimized.

2. The focus in the sport should be on competition, not weight control.

3. Recommendations should be practical, effective and enforceable.

Staff contact: Marty Benson.

TELEVISION

Tournament games on TV at new high in women's basketball

The 1998 NCAA Division I Women's Basket-ball Championship was much more available on television than ever before.

Of the 63 games played in the tournament, 47 were telecast -- including all games from the second round on.

Chris Farrow, NCAA assistant director of broadcast services, said that of the 16 second-round games, eight were on ESPN or ESPN2, six were produced by NCAA Productions and two were produced locally and uplinked by NCAA Productions. All of those games were placed on the "Full Court" package and made available via satellite to small-dish provider services.

All regional games appeared on ESPN or ESPN2, while the Women's Final Four was on ESPN.

In addition, 16 first-round games were produced (five by ESPN and ESPN2, one by NCAA Productions and 10 locally), bringing the total to 47.

Also, all 11 games of the Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship were televised. It is only the second NCAA championship in which all games were televised.

About 2,000 purchased a $29.95 pay-per-view package that enabled them to view all of the ice hockey games. The games were made available through DirecTV, Echostar and local cable systems.

Staff contact: Chris Farrow.

TITLE IX

Seminar scheduled for May 12-13 in Chicago

The 1998 NCAA Title IX Seminar, which will be conducted May 12-13 in Chicago, is designed to assist the membership in complying with Title IX regulation. The seminar is free for NCAA institutional personnel.

Staff contact: Janet M. Justus.