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The NCAA News - News and FeaturesThe NCAA News -- September 28, 1998 Divsions II-III -- Second legislative publication includes 36 new proposals Forty-five proposals -- 23 in Division II and 22 in Division III -- are included in the Second Publication of Proposed Legislation for the 1999 Convention in San Antonio. The publication was mailed September 23 to the Divisions II and III membership. Included are 36 proposals produced from the division governance structures -- 15 sponsored by the Division II Presidents Council and 21 sponsored by the Division III Presidents Council. Also included are eight Division II proposals and one Division III proposal sponsored previously by the membership. Sponsors of those proposals were given an opportunity between August 15 and September 15 to change the proposals in any manner that is germane to the original proposals. Division II proposals In Division II, the new proposals of most interest may be those relating to championships. First, the Division II Presidents Council is sponsoring Proposal No. 2-20, which would establish a Division II Women's Golf Championship beginning with the 1999-2000 academic year. At the moment, Divisions II and III conduct a combined women's golf championship. Convention delegates also will be asked to eliminate the Division II Men's Ice Hockey Championship because of the dwindling number of participating institutions. Only 13 Division II member institutions currently sponsor men's ice hockey, and six of those have chosen to conduct their programs at the Division I level in the future. Until now, the division had not challenged the continued existence of the event, even though it was below the minimum sponsorship figure of 40. However, the Division II Championships Committee, Management Council and Presidents Council all felt that seven was an insufficient number to conduct a meaningful championship. Because men's ice hockey is an Olympic sport, the division must take specific action to eliminate the championship, which is what Convention delegates will consider when they vote on Proposal No. 2-21. In a related matter, by not taking action at the 1999 Convention, Division II will eliminate the Division II Men's Lacrosse Championship, effective after this season. A total of 31 Division II institutions currently sponsor men's lacrosse. Although below the required number of 40 sponsors, the championship has continued because of Bylaw 18.2.10.1, which placed a moratorium on the discontinuation of non-Olympic championships through the 1998-99 academic year. The Division II Championships Committee chose not to propose legislation to allow the championship to continue after this season, and the Management Council and Presidents Council agreed. The 15 proposals sponsored by the Division II Presidents Council also include:
Division III proposals Among the 21 proposals sponsored by the Division III Presidents Council, at least two deal with values central to the division's operating principles. One amends the Division III philosophy statement in order to make it more consistent with the mission statement approved in the Division III strategic plan. Another proposal establishes automatic-qualification requirements for Division III championships that emphasize regular-season conference and regional competition, and equitable access to championships for conference members and independent institutions. Both principles are derived from the Division III philosophy statement. Other Division III proposals include:
Amendments-to-amendments The Second Publication of Proposed Legislation was mailed to chief executive officers, faculty athletics representatives, directors of athletics, senior woman administrators and compliance coordinators at Divisions II and III institutions. Conference commissioners also received copies. From now until November 1, the Divisions II and III Presidents Councils can submit amendments to a proposal for the 1999 Convention. Amendments also can be submitted by 15 active Division II member institutions (or two active conferences on behalf of 15 or more conference members) or eight active Division III member institutions (or one active conference on behalf of eight or more conference members). Amendments-to-amendments at this stage of the legislative calendar must adhere to the traditional Association limitation -- they are not permitted to increase the change in legislation put forth in the circularized proposal. Amendments-to-amendments must be received in the national office by 5 p.m. (Central time) November 1. No amendments-to-amendments may be submitted after that date, except that the Presidents Councils have the authority to submit amendments-to-amendments at the Convention if deemed necessary. Forms for submitting amendments-to-amendments will be mailed with the Second Publication of Proposed Legislation to chief executive officers. The Official Notice of the Convention, which will include all proposed legislation and properly submitted amendments-to-amendments, will be mailed to the Divisions II and III membership November 15.
Summary of intent statementsFollowing are the statements of intent for 36 new Divisions II and III proposals for the 1999 Convention that will appear in the Second Publication of Proposed Legislation. The list includes proposals produced from the Divisions II and III governance structures. Proposals from the Divisions II and III membership appeared in the August 3 issue of The NCAA News. Those proposals also appear in the Second Publication of Proposed Legislation, but are not repeated in this summary. The proposals below are numbered as they appear in the Second Publication of Proposed Legislation (the numeral "2" appearing before each proposal refers to that publication). Division II legislative proposals NO. 2-2 RECRUITING -- TELEPHONE CALLS -- DIVISION II FOOTBALL Intent: In Division II football, to permit one telephone call to a football prospect (or the prospect's relatives or legal guardians) during the month of May of the prospect's junior year in high school; further, to preclude any additional telephone calls until September 1 at the beginning of the prospect's senior year in high school. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-3 TELEPHONE CALLS -- DIVISION II MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Intent: To permit institutions in the sports of men's and women's basketball to make one telephone call to a prospect [or the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s)] on or after June 21 of the prospect's junior year in high school; further, to permit only three telephone calls to a prospect [or the prospect's parents or legal guardian(s)] during the month of July following the prospect's junior year in high school, with the restriction that no more than one telephone call may occur per week. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-4 UNOFFICIAL VISIT -- NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY Intent: To specify that National Girls and Women in Sports Day activities held on an institution's campus are exempt from the limitations on providing entertainment to a prospect. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-6 FOREIGN TOURS -- SEASONS OF COMPETITION Intent: To permit a student-athlete to engage in competition on an institution's foreign tour conducted after the intercollegiate season and prior to the start of the next academic year without using a season of competition; further, to permit student-athletes who were enrolled as full-time students the previous academic year and have established eligibility for the subsequent academic year to participate on a summer foreign tour. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-7 HARDSHIP WAIVER -- DIVISION II Intent: To require the submission of contemporaneous medical documentation with any hardship-waiver request. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement)]. NO. 2-8 INITIAL ELIGIBILITY -- GED TEST/ EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMA -- DIVISION II Intent: To specify that a prospect may qualify for athletically related financial aid and practice on-campus or at the institution's regular home facility, but not for competition, by presenting a minimum average score of 45 on the five-part GED test and satisfying either the minimum grade-point average and core-course requirements or the minimum standardized test score as set forth in 14.3.2.1.2. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Academic Requirements Committee)]. NO. 2-11 FINANCIAL AID -- OUTSIDE SOURCES Intent: To permit a student-athlete (recruited or nonrecruited) who is the recipient of a permissible outside financial aid award administered pursuant to 15.2.5.4 and 15.2.5.6 to receive such an educational award directly from the awarding agency, provided the aid is awarded prior to the recipient's initial enrollment at a member institution and the awarding agency provides written notification of the award to the institution. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-12 DE MINIMUS VIOLATIONS -- IMPROPER FINANCIAL AID -- DIVISION II Intent: To specify instances in which a de minimus violation will not render a prospective or enrolled student-athlete ineligible while retaining the fact that such a violation shall be considered an institutional violation. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement)]. NO. 2-13 FINANCIAL AID -- PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ORGANIZATION Intent: To permit an institution to continue providing financial aid for the remainder of the term of the award to a student-athlete who completes his or her four seasons of competition in a sport and signs a contract or receives compensation from an agent or a professional sports organization. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-14 RESTITUTION FOR RECEIPT OF IMPROPER BENEFITS -- DIVISION II Intent: In Division II, to specify circumstances in which an institution does not have to declare a student-athlete ineligible and seek reinstatement on behalf of a student-athlete who received an improper benefit, provided the student-athlete repays the value of the improper benefit. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement)]. NO. 2-15 PERMISSIBLE EXPENSES -- MEALS Intent: To permit institutions to provide meal expenses to student-athletes serving on university committees who miss a regular meal as a result of a committee meeting conducted when regular institutional dining facilities are open. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-16 AWARDS BANQUETS -- COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSIONS Intent: To permit institutions to provide complimentary admissions to one annual awards banquet for a student-athlete's two guests and spouse. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Division II Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-17 REFRESHMENTS AT EDUCATIONAL EVENTS Intent: To permit institutions to provide reasonable refreshments to a student-athlete's parents or legal guardians in conjunction with educational activities. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Division II Legislation Committee)]. NO. 2-20 DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP -- WOMEN'S GOLF Intent: To establish a National Collegiate Division II Championship in the sport of women's golf, effective 1999-2000. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Championships Committee)]. NO. 2-21 DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP -- MEN'S ICE HOCKEY Intent: To discontinue the National Collegiate Division II Championship in the sport of men's ice hockey. Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council [Division II Management Council (Championships Committee)]. Division III legislative proposals NO. 2-24 ATHLETICALLY RELATED FINANCIAL AID Intent: To preclude a provisional member from awarding athletically related financial aid during the second year of provisional membership. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council [Management Council (Division III Membership Committee)]. NO. 2-25 DIVISION III MEMBERSHIP -- RECLASSIFICATION OF PROVISIONAL MEMBERS Intent: To permit the Division III Membership Committee to waive one year of the four-year provisional membership period if an institution reclassifies its provisional membership from Division II to Division III. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Membership Committee). NO. 2-26 SENIOR WOMAN ADMINISTRATOR Intent: To require Division III institutions to designate a senior woman administrator; further, to clarify the status and role of that position. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Membership Committee). NO. 2-27 DIVISION III GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE -- DIVISION III PRESIDENTS COUNCIL Intent: To increase the size of the Division III Presidents Council from 11 to 15 members. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council. NO. 2-28 ELIGIBILITY -- HARDSHIP WAIVER -- DIVISION III Intent: In Division III, to require that contemporaneous medical documentation be submitted with any hardship-waiver request. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement). NO. 2-29 ELIGIBILITY -- SEASONS OF COMPETITION -- DIVISION III Intent: In Division III, to permit the NCAA Division III Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement to grant a student-athlete an additional season of competition when a coaching staff member erroneously directed a student-athlete to participate in competition prior to receipt of a formal declaration of his or her eligibility status and the student-athlete is subsequently determined to be ineligible for the competition. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement). NO. 2-31 FINANCIAL AID -- ELIGIBILITY FOR INSTITUTIONAL AID Intent: To permit Division III institutions to award institutional financial aid (including summer aid) to any student-athlete who satisfies institutional regulations applicable to all students for the receipt of such aid. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee). NO. 2-32 DIVISION III FINANCIAL AID -- EMPLOYMENT EARNINGS Intent: In Division III, to specify that institutions shall not count employment earnings (other than earnings from Federal work-study program assistance) as institutional aid; further, to specify that employment earnings (other than earnings from Federal work-study program assistance) shall not be included in a student-athlete's full grant-in-aid limit. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee). NO. 2-33 DE MINIMUS VIOLATIONS -- ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES -- DIVISION III Intent: In Division III, to specify instances in which a de minimus violation will not render an enrolled student-athlete ineligible while retaining the fact that such a violation shall be considered an institutional violation. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement). NO. 2-34 DIVISION III FINANCIAL AID -- PERIOD OF AWARD Intent: To specify that increases in institutional aid to student-athletes should conform to policies applicable to the general student body. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee). NO. 2-35 DIVISION III FINANCIAL AID -- NONATHLETICS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Intent: To permit any institutional representatives (other than athletics department staff members) to be involved in the selection process for recipients of nonathletics achievement awards. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee). NO. 2-36 RESTITUTION FOR RECEIPT OF IMPROPER BENEFITS -- DIVISION III Intent: In Division III, to specify circumstances in which an institution does not have to declare a student-athlete ineligible and seek reinstatement on behalf of a student-athlete who received an improper benefit, provided the student-athlete repays the value of the improper benefit. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement). NO. 2-37 PLAYING AND PRACTICE SEASONS -- NATIONAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION Intent: In Division III, to exempt competition in the National Christian Collegiate Athletics Association (NCCAA) championships from the maximum number of countable contests/dates of competition in the applicable sports; further, to establish a joint-declaration program in those men's and women's sports in which there is a date conflict between the national championship of the NCAA and the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA). Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Membership Committee). NO. 2-38 CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIPS Intent: To establish a Division III Women's Golf Championship. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council [Management Council (Division III Championships Committee)]. NO. 2-39 CHANGE OF DIVISION MEMBERSHIP --RECLASSIFICATION PERIOD Intent: To establish a four-year reclassification period for Division I institutions that wish to reclassify to Division III. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Membership Committee). NO. 2-40 CHANGE OF DIVISION MEMBERSHIP -- NOTIFICATION AND CHAMPIONSHIPS ELIGIBILITY Intent: To establish a two-year notification period for institutions that intend to reclassify from Division III to Division II; further, to exclude those institutions that have forwarded such notice to the national office from eligibility for any Division III championship and from service on Division III committees. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council [Management Council (Division III Membership Committee)]. NO. 2-41 MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS -- DIVISION III PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT Intent: To revise the Division III philosophy statement as specified. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee). NO. 2-42 DIVISION III MEMBERSHIP -- MINIMUM-CONTEST REQUIREMENTS Intent: To specify that Division III institutions may include only contests against the varsity program of a four-year, degree-granting collegiate institution in meeting the minimum-contest sport sponsorship requirements. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council [Management Council (Division III Membership Committee)]. NO. 2-43 DIVISION III MEMBERSHIP -- FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL SCHEDULING Intent: In the sports of football and men's basketball, to eliminate the requirement that a Division III institution shall schedule and play more than 50 percent of its contests in an academic year against institutions classified in Division III. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Division III Membership Committee). NO. 2-44 DIVISION III COMMITTEES Intent: To specify that only a Division III committee member who has two consecutive unexcused absences may be removed from the committee. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council [Management Council (Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee)]. NO. 2-45 DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIPS -- SELECTION PRINCIPLES AND AUTOMATIC-QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Intent: To establish automatic championships qualification for conferences that meet specified legislative requirements; to specify that at least seven conference members shall sponsor a sport for the conference to be eligible to receive an automatic bid; to require sports committees to give priority to regional competition in the selection of at-large championships participants; to specify that conferences that do not meet automatic-qualification requirements as of February 1, 2000, shall fulfill all requirements for one year prior to receiving automatic qualification; and to specify that all members of a conference must play a minimum percentage of their published schedules against conference competition for the conference to receive an automatic championships bid. Source: NCAA Division III Presidents Council (Championships Committee) |