National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- December 21, 1998

Basketball group assigns subcommittees to target specific issues

The Division I Working Group to Study Basketball Issues has named seven subcommittees to focus on specific areas of interest.

The working group, chaired by Syracuse University chancellor, Ken Shaw, heard December 10 from representatives of the National Federation of State High School Associations; the Amateur Athletics Union; and two apparel companies (Nike and adidas). The 29-person group also received results from a survey of the Division I membership on issues and potential solutions.

As a result of presentations and discussions in its first two meetings, the working group named seven subcommittees to study specific issues, identify alternatives and make recommendations to the full group. Shaw noted that the subcommittees are expected to consult with other committees in the governance structure that may be working on similar issues.

The seven subcommittees will review issues related to:

  • Recruiting, including the summer environment and the influence of apparel and equipment manufacturers and distributors.

  • Academic performance, including issues related to freshman eligibility, graduation rates and attrition. It also will review issues related to Division I basketball financial aid.

  • Student-athletes' pursuit of professional basketball careers, including early departures to professional organizations, the influence of agents and draft regulations.

  • The involvement of basketball student-athletes and athletics department staff members in gambling activities.

  • The sociological impact of the sport of basketball on student-athletes' values and attitudes on campus, including the lack of integration into the campus community, the on- and off-court conduct of student-athletes and player/coach relationships.

  • The basketball playing season and the maximum number of basketball contests, including contests during the vacation period and exempted events.

  • Plans for marketing and maintaining the image of the sport.

    The subcommittees are expected to have draft reports ready for the full group by May 1. Shaw also noted that the survey results did not appear to support a separate subcommittee to study issues in women's basketball at this time. He asked committee members to be mindful of areas where issues or solutions may differ by gender and where such issues arise, committee members with expertise regarding women's basketball and other groups within the governance structure will be consulted for further direction.

    Survey results

    In other business, the working group received results from a survey of more than 907 respondents among Division I chief executive officers, directors of athletics, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, men's head basketball coaches, women's head basketball coaches and conference commissioners. (The full report of results are available on NCAA Online under "Basketball Issues" in the "Press Releases" menu.)

    "The survey is an important tool for the working group, but it is not intended as a mandate for action or inaction," Shaw said. "The subcommittees will review the results in detail, but their assignment is to develop pros and cons for alternatives and make recommendations that will stand the test of scrutiny by the Division I governance structure and membership."

    According to the survey, men's and women's basketball share some of the same concerns although the level of concern in all issues is higher in the men's game than the women's game. There is more concern within men's basketball related to external forces, including nonscholastic coaches, agents, gambling, summer environment, and shoe and apparel companies.

    The major concerns in women's basketball are competitive-equity issues, academics and the recruiting process.

    Men's basketball issues

    Three issues -- the influence of nonscholastic coaches in the recruiting process; academic performance, including graduation rates; and the influence of agents -- were identified by about 50 percent of respondents for men's basketball as areas of high concern. Another 30 to 40 percent were somewhat concerned about these issues.

    College presidents and faculty athletics representatives both identified academic-performance issues as their highest concern, while administrators and coaches agreed that the influence of nonscholastic coaches was primary. The top concern for conference commissioners was competitive equity of basketball programs.

    Other issues that received 70 to 80 percent of either highly concerned or somewhat concerned as responses were: recruiting and the summer environment, gambling, shoe and apparel company influence, sportsmanship and on-court conduct of student-athletes, and off-court conduct of student-athletes.

    Issues of lesser concern in the men's game were competitive equity, the number of contests and increases in the number of exempted events, student-athletes leaving school early for professional careers, influence of commercialization in NCAA championships, lack of student-athlete integration into campus community, and player "runoff."

    Women's basketball issues

    None of the issues in women's basketball received much more than 30 percent "highly concerned" responses ("competitive equity among programs" received 30.8 percent). Other issues that received more than 70 percent highly concerned and somewhat concerned combined were recruiting and summer environment, academic performance and graduation rates, influence of nonscholastic coaches in the recruiting process, and sportsmanship and on-court conduct of student-athletes.

    Less than 20 percent of respondents were highly concerned and less than 50 percent were somewhat concerned with the other issues identified in the survey.

    Possible solutions

    There was general agreement among both men and women on opinions related to changes. A significant percentage -- more than 70 percent -- agreed that freshmen should remain eligible. However, if they were to be made ineligible, most agree that the initial-eligibility re-
    quirements should be met for receiving grants-in-aid as freshmen. Most also agreed that the student-athletes should get four years of eligibility.

    A little more than 50 percent of all respondents believe that the summer recruiting period should be shortened, but few believe it should be eliminated.

    Significant groups in both men's and women's basketball agreed with these statements:

  • Student-athletes should permanently lose athletics eligibility if they agree to be represented by or receive benefits from an agent.

  • Contact between college coaches and individuals other than the prospect, the prospect's parents, or the high-school coach should be limited.

  • Student-athletes should permanently lose their athletics eligibility if they participate in gambling on intercollegiate or professional sports events.

    There also was firm disagreement that the November signing period should be eliminated, that the value of grants-in-aid and benefits to basketball student-athletes should be increased, and that limitations on initial grants-in-aid in the sport of basketball should be created for longer than a one-year period.