The NCAA News - News and Features

July 20, 1998

Cabinet backs bracket expansion, opposes preseason football games

A number of recommendations and support for several legislative proposals emerged from the July 8-9 meeting of the NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet, including support for expansion of five championships beginning this fall.

All of the legislative proposals will be submitted either to the Division I Management Council or to the membership for comment, and the recommendations will be forwarded to the Council and Division I Board of Directors.

The cabinet agreed to ask the Council and Board to include funding in the 1998-99 general operating budget to expand the field or brackets in baseball from 48 to 64 teams, men's and women's cross country from 184 to 255 competitors in each championship, in women's soccer and women's softball from 32 to 48 teams in each championship, and in women's volleyball from 56 to 64 teams.

In making its recommendation, the cabinet noted it considers providing additional championships opportunities for student-athletes its highest priority. If all the expansion recommendations are approved, an additional 1,090 opportunities would be provided.

The cabinet also agreed to sponsor legislation that would eliminate all preseason football contests after the 2002 football season. Noting that an original purpose of preseason games was to support not-for-profit organizations that were linked in some way to college football, the cabinet observed that the purpose has shifted to making money for professional sports promoters who have a contractual relationship with an affiliated member.

"The fact is these games are proliferating, and the revenue from them is not being used for the original purpose intended by the legislation," said Chris Hill, cabinet chair and director of athletics at the University of Utah.

In a related matter, the cabinet voted to develop legislation that would permit Division I schools to schedule a 12th regular-season football game in those years in which there are 14 Saturdays from the first permissible playing date through the last playing date in November. If approved, a 12th game could be scheduled in 2002, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2019.

Scheduling for a 12th game could not begin until the 2002 season and only if the preseason exempted games are eliminated following that season. There would be a one-year overlap in 2002 for both the preseason games and a 12th game.

In its rationale for the legislation, the cabinet noted that a 12th game would generate revenue for institutions without lengthening the season, and football student-athletes would not have to return to school early from summer vacation as they currently have to do for preseason games.

The cabinet also noted that the proposed legislation would permit all schools to participate in a 12th game, while participation in preseason games currently is limited to a small number of schools.

Legislation also will be supported by the cabinet that would permit schools sponsoring men's and women's basketball either to add a 28th regular-season game to its schedule or to participate in one certified event each year. The legislation would become effective August 1, 1999.

The cabinet noted that the number of exempted events -- those that can be played without counting against the maximum number of games permitted -- has increased significantly in recent years. The cabinet also noted that, like preseason football games, exempted basketball games have become profit-making ventures for sponsors who may not have ties to the interests of college athletics.

In addition, the legislation would permit a school to participate in any specific exempted basketball event or in one exempted event in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands only once during a four-year period. The cabinet noted that some institutions have been able to participate in multiple exempted events in an academic year, thereby significantly increasing the number of games played.

In other action, the cabinet reaffirmed its support of legislation approved by the Division I Board of Directors in April that eliminated policies regarding Sunday competition in NCAA championships. The legislation no longer would delay the start of Sunday competition until after noon and no longer would require adjustment of the championship schedule to accommodate a participating school that has a policy against Sunday competition.

The legislation -- also known as Proposal 98-32 -- has received 99 override petitions from NCAA member schools to require a vote by the Division I membership at the 1999 annual Convention if the Board does not modify its earlier action.

In reaffirming its position, the cabinet made the following observations: