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The NCAA News -- November 23, 1998

Minority committee to explore alternative eligibility models

The NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee has appointed a subcommittee to review four initial-eligibility models and investigate alternative models to determine how best to protect the interests of minority student-athletes.

The action was taken during the committee's November 1-2 meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, and was the result of discussion regarding recent NCAA governance reaction to the four initial-eligibility models that had been developed by the Initial-Eligibility Subcommittee of the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet.

At its August meeting, the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee endorsed Model No. 4, which would encompass a full sliding scale, because the committee believed the model was the best of the four at providing the most access to prospective student-athletes without compromising academic integrity.

Since that time, however, NCAA governance committees, including the Division I Management Council and Division I Board of Directors, have indicated a willingness to review alternative models in addition to the four submitted.

The Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee has been concerned about data compiled since Proposition 16 was implemented, which indicate a disparate impact on African-American and low-income groups. Research has pointed out that while Proposition 48 and Proposition 16 have increased the average academic performance of eligible student-athletes, there have been substantial decreases in eligibility for African-American student-athletes, and independently, for student-athletes from lower-income families.

Charles Whitcomb, faculty athletics representative at San Jose State University and chair of the committee, said the purpose of establishing the subcommittee was to decide if in fact the full sliding scale was the best method or if an alternative model could be developed that would better address the access issue.

"Our committee needs to either reaffirm its support of Model No. 4 -- if in fact it is the best at providing access -- or look at new ways of accomplishing what's best for all groups of prospective student-athletes," he said. "And we need to be committed to that decision and become spokespersons for those goals. The climate is one of a willingness to listen and we need to make sure that we're heard."

The subcommittee will report its findings to the full committee in December. The Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet has said it will revisit the four initial-eligibility models, as well as any others submitted, in February before making any recommendations to the Division I Management Council.

Strategic plan

In another action, the committee reviewed a memorandum from the Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet that identifies several strategic activities that relate to the work of the various Association-wide committees. The cabinet identified the following strategic goals that relate specifically to the work of the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee: Student-Athlete Welfare; Gender Equity and Diversity; Initial and Continuing Eligibility; and Championships, Playing Rules and Competition.

The committee was asked to identify projects and activities that relate to those goals and to report to the cabinet by December 15. The committee also discussed budget-impact items from its strategic plan and determined that funding requests related to objectives to be addressed in 1999-2000 be prioritized. It also asked that reallocation of funds or creation of alternative methods of funding be explored to further those initiatives.

Toward that end, the committee's strategic planning subcommittee will convene via telephone conference to review the plan with regard to budget-impact items.

Certification principle

The committee also reviewed its request to the Division I Committee on Athletics Certification that the operating principle incorporating the Association's position of nondiscrimination be included in the self-study instrument of the athletics certification program.

While it was noted that legislation would be required to revise any existing operating principle or to introduce a new principle, the committee emphasized that institutions should be encouraged to focus on principles of nondiscrimination as part of the self-study.

The committee agreed to review the issue further and to make any recommendations to the Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet and to the Division I Management Council.

Other highlights

Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee
November 1-2/Kansas City, Missouri