The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- January 4, 1999

Management Council to take second look at legislative items

Several legislative proposals that previously have received support from the Division I Management Council will be reviewed by that group again during its January 9 and 11 meeting in conjunction with the NCAA Convention.

Among the major proposals to be considered for final approval are items regarding exempted contests in basketball and football, and skill instruction in football.

Also before the Council will be a report from the Division I Financial Aid Committee on several models addressing the feasibility of increasing a full grant-in-aid to the cost of attendance.

The Council had asked the Division I Financial Aid Committee to examine the issue as a possible alternative to student-athlete employment during the academic year for full-grant recipients.

Legislation

Among legislative proposals that have received initial approval from the Management Council and are up for second approval is Proposal No. 98-92 regarding exempted contests in basketball. That proposal would allow schools the flexibility of choosing to participate in an exempted contest or adding a 28th regular-season game to their schedules.

The legislation would limit schools' participation in exempted contests to two certified events in a four-year period, with no more than one of those events being outside the continental U.S.

Another piece of legislation regarding exempted contests that the Management Council will review for a second time is Proposal No. 98-90, which would allow Division I-A football institutions to participate in a 12th regular-season game during years in which there are 14 Saturdays from the first permissible playing date through the last playing date in November (2002, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2019 over the next 20 years). The Division I-AA Football Governance Committee, which tabled this proposal in October, will consider whether to give the proposal initial approval.

Other proposals up for second approval include Proposal No. 98-91, which would permit Divisions I-A and I-AA football players to participate under certain conditions in individual skill-related instruction outside the institution's declared playing season during the academic year.

If the Management Council gives second approval to the proposal and it is subsequently approved by the Board, the legislation would become effective immediately. In addition, the legislation would provide for up to four players to participate in the instruction because Proposal No. 98-16 (which specified no more than four participants in skill instruction in all sports) gained final approval from the Board in October and became effective immediately.

Also up for second approval are Proposal No. 98-47 [concerning eligibility of students with learning disabilities (part of the consent decree approved by the NCAA and the U.S. Department of Justice)], and Proposal No. 98-49, which for the first time would establish a recruiting calendar in Division I women's softball.

The Council also will consider 11 proposals submitted by conferences.

Subcommittee reports

Also on the Council agenda will be preliminary reports from two Management Council subcommittees -- the Subcommittee to Review the Division I Governance Structure and the Subcommittee to Review the Definition of the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA).

The governance structure subcommittee's report also will be discussed during the Division I forum Monday, January 11.

The subcommittee to review the definition of the SWA was charged with reviewing a proposal from the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics and the Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet that would further define the role of the SWA and require institutions to designate a female in that position on a full-time basis.

The Management Council supported the concept during its October meeting but tabled the proposal to allow the subcommittee to further define the scope of the specific responsibilities identified in the definition and the impact on institutional staffing decisions. The subcommittee also received input from NCAA legal counsel.

Other action items

The Council also will consider for initial approval several legislative proposals from the cabinets, including Proposal Nos. 98-112 through 98-121 regarding the increase of financial aid awards (equivalencies) in various women's sports.

Those proposals initiated with the Financial Aid Committee and have been sponsored by the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet.

The Council also is expected to review a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct and the Strategic Planning Cabinet to adopt an NCAA annual sportsmanship award that honors student-athletes from each division. The awards would be presented at the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance's national summit to be held at the Freedom Forum in Washington, D.C., in June. Divisions II and III also will consider this recommendation.

Also to be reviewed by the Council are expenditure savings proposals to be considered for the 1999-2000 Division I budget, including management of travel and committee meeting practices, and implementation of better business practices, savings from the NCAA 2000 project and potential revenue enhancements.

In addition, the Council and the Board of Directors (which meets January 12 in San Antonio) will continue their ongoing review of funding expenses related to the restricted-earnings coaches litigation. The review will include discussion of a request from the Northeast Conference that would require a vote of all Division I institutions to determine any method of payment.