The NCAA News Digest

December 7, 1998

• Basketball participation
• LITIGATION -- U.S. district court dismisses Baum suit against NCAA
• TITLE IX -- Date established for 1999 NCAA Title IX Seminar

Basketball participation

Research by the American Basketball Council shows that basketball participation remains at a high level, with 45.1 million Americans taking part in the game in 1997. That is a one percent reduction from 1996. The peak came in 1994, when 47.1 million players competed in basketball.

The research also showed that more people take part in basketball than in any other team sport. It also revealed that basketball leads all other activities in popularity with 12- to 17-year-old boys and girls. In that age group, 64 percent of all boys play the game while 43 percent of all girls compete.

LITIGATION

U.S. district court dismisses Baum suit against NCAA

A U.S. district court in Kansas has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Baum Research and Development, a maker of composite wood bats. Baum had alleged that the NCAA conspired with aluminum bat makers by not adjusting performance standards to make metal bats perform more like wooden bats.

A antitrust lawsuit filed by Easton, a manufacturer of metal bats, is still pending.

Staff contact: Stephen R. Hagwell.

TITLE IX

Date established for 1999 NCAA Title IX seminar

The 1999 Title IX Seminar has been scheduled for May 11-12 at the Westin Hotel (Michigan Avenue) in Chicago.

Planned topics include: Title IX basics, financial aid, roster management, current Title IX case law, promotions and marketing, and a student-athlete panel featuring both male and female student-athletes.

Also, videotapes of the 1998 Title IX Seminar are now available to the membership.

Staff contacts: Janet M. Justus.