The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- February 15, 1999

Noncontroversial legislative proposals

The NCAA Division II Management Council has determined, pursuant to NCAA Constitution 5.3.1.1.1, that the following proposals are noncontroversial and necessary to promote the normal and orderly administration of the Association's legislation. The Division II Management Council, by a two-thirds majority of its members present and voting, shall have the authority to recommend the adoption of noncontroversial amendments, subject to ratification by the Division II Presidents Council. Proposals that are ratified by the Presidents Council shall be effective as of the date identified in the proposal. Once ratified, the proposals will be published in The NCAA News and submitted by the Presidents Council as legislation at the 2000 NCAA Convention. Those items the Management Council has not yet reviewed in legislative form are marked with an asterisk (*).

Legislative citations and governing bodies are reflected as they now appear in the 1998-99 Division II NCAA Manual. Further, inasmuch as a federated provision may be amended separately by each division, all federated proposals will be reflected as a division only voting line.

Bold type indicates new wording; italicized type indicates wording removed.

No. 1 Nonpermissible Medical Expenses -- Weight-Gain Supplements

Intent: To prohibit Division II institutions from providing weight-gain and muscle/strength building supplements or products to student-athletes at any time.

Bylaws: Amend 16.4.2, page 177, as follows:

"16.4.2 Nonpermissible. Student-athlete medical expense benefits that may not be financed by the institution are:

[16.4.2-(a) through 16.4.2-(d) unchanged.]

"(e) Weight-gain and muscle/strength building supplements during an institution's summer vacation period or products to student-athletes at any time."

Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council (Division II Management Council).

Effective Date: Immediately.

No. 2 Incidental-Expense Waivers -- Division II

Intent: To require institutions to file a request for an incidental-expense waiver within five business days of receiving approval from the NCAA membership services staff.

Bylaws: Amend 16.13.1 by adding new 16.13.1.1, page 187, as follows:

"16.13.1.1 Waiver Submission Procedures. If an institution receives verbal approval from the NCAA membership services staff, the institution must file a written request for an incidental-expense waiver within five business days of receiving verbal approval from the staff. An institution may request an extension of the five-day period in instances in which extenuating circumstances exist."

Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council (Division II Management Council).

Effective Date: Immediately.

No. 3 Emerging Sports -- Equestrian

Intent: To add the sport of equestrian as an emerging sport for women.

Bylaws: Amend 20.02.5, page 293, as follows:

"20.02.5 Emerging Sports for Women. The following shall be considered emerging sports for women and countable for purposes of revenue distribution (i.e., for sports sponsorship and grants-in-aid):

[20.02.5-(a) unchanged.]

"(b) Individual Sports: Archery, badminton, bowling, equestrian and squash."

[Remainder of 20.02.5 unchanged.]

Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council (Division II Management Council).

Effective Date: August 1, 1999.

No. 4 NCAA Core-Course Review Committee

Intent: To increase the number of institutional representatives by two in the "additional" academic discipline area of the NCAA Core-Course Review Committee.

Bylaws: Amend 21.5.4.1, page 314, as follows:

"21.5.4.1 Composition

"(a) The committee shall consist of 18 members who comprise subcommittees in the various academic discipline as follows:

[21.5.4.1-(a)-(1) through 21.5.4.1-(a)-(4) unchanged.]

"(5) Additional Academic Courses--Two Four members."

[21.5.4.1-(b) through 21.5.4.1-(d) unchanged.]

Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council (Division II Management Council).

Effective Date: Immediately.

No. 5 NCAA Division II Championships Committee

Intent: To specify that the Championships Committee's oversight responsibility for playing rules be expanded to include rules that affect an institution's ability to administer regular-season competition and/or the ability of a governing sports committee to administer NCAA championships competition.

Bylaws: Amend 21.7.6.2.2, page 316, as follows:

"21.7.6.2.2 Duties. The committee shall:

[21.7.6.2.2-(a) and 21.7.6.2.2-(b) unchanged.]

"(c) Maintain oversight responsibility for applicable playing regulations in the areas of player safety, financial impact and, image of the sport, and the impact on the ability to administer any rule during the regular season and during the administration of the championship in the applicable sport, and approve appeals for division-specific exceptions to the applicable playing regulations when significant financial impact may occur (subject to the final authority of the Executive Committee);"

[21.7.6.2.2-(d) through 21.7.6.2.2-(h) unchanged.]

Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council (Division II Management Council).

Effective Date: Immediately.

No. 6 NCAA Championships -- Conflicts Due to Religious Convictions

Intent: To establish a requirement that specifies that if a participating institution has a written policy against competition on a particular day for religious reasons, the championship schedule must be adjusted to accommodate that institution; further, to establish a waiver opportunity for such a requirement if the governing sports committee concludes that accommodating an institution's policy would unduly disrupt the orderly conduct of a championship.

Bylaws: Amend 31.1.4, page 339, as follows:

"31.1.4 Sunday Day of Competition. NCAA championships competition may be scheduled or conducted on Sunday any day, provided the governing sports committee has received the prior approval of the Championships Committee and the following regulations are applied.

"31.1.4.1 Institutional Policy. If a participating institution has a written policy against Sunday competition, on a particular day for religious reasons, it shall inform the governing sports committee prior to the beginning of the championship in order for it or one of its student-athletes to be excused form competing on Sunday that day. The championship schedule shall be adjusted to accommodate that institution, and such adjustment shall not require its team or an individual competitor to compete prior to the time originally scheduled.

"31.1.4.1.1 Waiver. If a governing sports committee concludes that accommodating an institution's policy as required by 31.1.4.1 would unduly disrupt the orderly conduct of a championship, the committee may request a waiver of the application of 31.1.4.1 to that championship from the Championships Committee prior to the selection of the field for the championship. The cabinet may approve such a waiver by a majority vote of its members present and voting."

[Remainder of 31.1.4 unchanged.]

Source: NCAA Division II Presidents Council (Division II Management Council).

Effective Date: Immediately.