National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

August 3, 1998

Division I Board to review Sunday competition rule

Divisions II, III CEOs also meet August 11

A discussion of whether or not to rescind legislation regarding Sunday competition will be on the Division I Board of Directors agenda during its August 11 meeting in Chicago.

The legislation, also known as Proposal 98-32, eliminates the requirement of adjusting a championship schedule to accommodate a participating institution that has a policy against Sunday competition. It also permits championship competition conducted on Sundays to begin before noon, local time.

The proposal was sponsored by the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet in February, approved by the Division I Management Council in April and adopted by the Board later that month. Since that time, however, 99 written requests have been submitted from the membership to override the adoption of the legislation, one shy of the number needed to suspend the legislation, but more than the 30 required for the Board to revisit the legislation.

Should the Board not reverse its decision, an override vote of the active members of Division I would take place at the 1999 Convention in San Antonio.

The Board also will consider several items expected to emerge from the Division I Management Council's July 27-29 meeting, including a review of the Division I operating budget and a report on Proposal No. 98-23 regarding the recruiting calendar for Division I men's basketball.

The Board also will consider legislative proposals that have been given second approval by the Management Council. Among those that may be forwarded to the Board is a proposal to require legislative changes acted upon by the Board or the Management Council to be published within 15 days of those bodies' actions. The Board also will review amendments to the administrative and executive regulations (Bylaws 30 and 31) and several "emergency" noncontroversial proposals supported by the Management Council.

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

Other issues on the Board's agenda include an update on the restricted-earnings litigation, a report on the consent decree with the Department of Justice concerning the eligibility of learning-disabled student-athletes, approval of goals and objectives from the Strategic Planning Cabinet and an update on efforts of the U.S. Congress to govern college and university decisions related to the discontinuation of sports teams.

Division II

The Division II Presidents Council has a number of important items on its August 11 agenda, including a report from the Division II Budget and Finance Committee regarding distribution of the Division II enhancement fund. That group has forwarded a recommendation for distribution of the $3 million fund that would divide $2 million equally among Division II members, with the remaining $1 million distributed based on performance in the Division II men's and women's basketball championships. The budget committee's recommendation also has been sent to the Division II Management Council, which considered the matter at its July 27-29 meeting. That group's reaction and possible alternative recommendations also will be considered at the Presidents Council's meeting.

The Council also will receive a report from Marvalene Hughes, president of California State University, Stanislaus, on the second Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Summit, conducted July 25-26 in Philadelphia. Hughes is the Presidents Council liaison to the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

In another matter, Arend D. Lubbers, president of Grand Valley State University and chair of the Division II Presidents Council, will report on the first meeting of a project team that has been formed to develop a strategic planning process for the division. That group conducted its first conference July 31.

Other major agenda items include:

  • A presentation from Robert A. Burnett, president of Armstrong Atlantic State University, on planning for the 1999 NCAA Convention in San Antonio.

  • A report on Division II membership issues. The educational-assessment component of the four-year program for provisional members includes a requirement that a member of the Division II Presidents Council meet with the chief executive officer of each applicant institution. At this meeting, the Council is expected to coordinate those meetings.

  • Consideration of proposed legislation for the 1999 Convention.

    Division III

    Strategic planning is expected to top the Division III Presidents Council agenda August 11 in Chicago. The Council is expected to review several recommendations forwarded from the Management Council regarding the Division III Strategic Plan, including 1998-2000 priorities.

    The Presidents Council also is expected to review several championships issues, including those regarding automatic qualification principles, individual/team sport field sizes and football.

    It also is expected to review several recommendations regarding deregulation of Bylaw 15. These recommendations were initiated by the Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee. The Division III Management Council was expected to review these recommendations at its July 27-29 meeting and forward them to the presidents for consideration.

    Membership issues will be significant at this meeting as well, since the Presidents Council is expected to review recommendations regarding the status of current provisional members and requests for provisional membership from 23 institutions.

    The Presidents Council also is expected to review recommendations for several membership education initiatives, including NCAA Convention programming and a September provisional member education session.

    The Presidents Council also will receive recommendations from the Nominations Subcommittee for three vacancies that will occur on the council in January 1999.

    An additional vacancy will be created by the departure of chair Curtis McCray, who will resign August 15. The Presidents Council will select a new vice-chair at this meeting. Judith L. Kuipers, chancellor at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, will assume McCray's duties as chair until her term expires in January.