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The NCAA News -- March 1, 1999

Cabinet to hear alternatives for initial-eligibility regulations

The Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet has agreed to hear reports in June on alternative proposals for initial-eligibility requirements and pre-enrollment amateurism issues.

The Initial-Eligibility Subcommittee, which met before the cabinet's February 18-19 meeting in San Diego, received a preliminary report from the NCAA Research Committee on ineligibility rates for the 1998 cohort of prospective student-athletes.

The report shows that the average ineligibility rates for prospects have continued to decline since the current standards ("Prop 16") went into effect in 1996 -- from 10.9 percent in 1996 to 8.0 percent in 1997 to 6.8 percent in 1998. Ineligibility rates in 1998 for low-income prospects (16.9 percent) continue to be disproportionately higher, however, than for middle- (6 percent) or high-income (2.3 percent) prospects.

The greatest disparity in ineligibility rates is between African-American student-athletes (20.6 percent) and white prospects (3.7 percent). The ineligibility trends have steadily improved, however, for African-American prospects since 1996 -- 27.3 percent in 1996, 21.8 percent in 1997 and 20.6 percent in 1998.

James Castaneda, faculty athletics representative at Rice University and chair of the subcommittee, said that the group has asked the Research Committee to develop "creative alternative initial-eligibility models" that will address three objectives:

Equal weighting of core-curriculum grade-point average and standardized test score (that is, equal standard deviations from the national average). The current model sets the standard deviation for core-course grade-point average at two and for standardized test scores at one.

Maintain current projected graduation rates (62 percent).

Minimize the number of qualifiers under the current standards who would be disenfranchised under any alternative model.

The subcommittee's report to the cabinet noted that achieving the third objective could result in a "substitution effect," where some student-athletes who would have been qualifiers under the current legislation might become ineligible, while some who would have been partial or nonqualifiers might become qualifiers. However, the report noted that "the subcommittee continues to support the development of models that minimize the number of individuals who would be eliminated from the pool of qualifiers under current rules who ultimately graduate."

In its review of standards, the subcommittee also received a report from the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee. The report expressed concern regarding the lack of access for nonqualifiers to athletics aid during the first year of collegiate enrollment. Castaneda said the subcommittee agreed to consider this issue as it reviews the Research Committee's models.

The cabinet also tabled a proposal that would permit nonqualifiers to earn back a fourth year of eligibility if graduation is achieved in four years. The Initial-Eligibility Subcommittee will consider this proposal in conjunction with the models offered by the Research Committee.

Other recommendations from the Initial-Eligibility Subcommittee include:

Support for cost-reduction recommendations from the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Committee that would (1) give the committee authority to increase the student fee a maximum of $2 per year; (2) increase the use of technology by the Clearinghouse, including development of a Web site; and (3) study the cost savings and standards that might be used in a final certification for prospects after their junior year.

Future consideration of legislation changes to the definition of an NCAA core course for purposes of initial eligibility.

Confirmation that when a student-athlete is required to retake the SAT or ACT after initial full-time enrollment because the validity of a test score achieved before enrollment is challenged, the student's school can request a waiver if the retest yields a qualifying score that is not high enough to validate the pre-enrollment score.

Amateurism issues

Christine H. Grant, director of women's athletics at the University of Iowa and chair of the Agents and Amateurism Subcommittee, reported to the cabinet that the subcommittee has looked at the "complex issues associated with amateurism in a global context."

In an effort to develop a systematic approach to the issues, Grant said the subcommittee has concentrated its discussion first on pre-enrollment matters. Specifically, the subcommittee has looked at allowing prospects to accept prize money based on place finish and other forms of pay up to their enrollment at an NCAA institution.

"What emerges from an analysis of the current status of amateurism is an exceedingly complex series of problems because we in the NCAA are attempting to collect accurate data in order to treat in a uniform fashion all prospective student-athletes in the world," Grant said. "These prospective student-athletes (both national and international) belong to a vast array of sporting organizations, each of which has a different set of rules pertaining to amateurism and most of which cannot provide accurate records of financial transactions between the athlete and the organization."

Grant said that another major concern is a perceived need or desire to distinguish between athletes who have pursued sport as a vocation (full time) from those who have participated as an avocation (part time).

"This relates to the question of competitive equity among athletes," she said. "Can we and should we penalize athletes who have been full time in sports because they may have gained a competitive advantage over those athletes who have been students trying to balance both academics and athletics?"

The subcommittee will make a half-day presentation to the cabinet in June in order to educate the group in preparation for future proposed legislation.

The cabinet also approved recommendations from the subcommittee that would develop legislation permitting a prospective student-athlete's educational institution to receive a financial award in conjunction with the prospect being recognized as part of an awards program in which athletics participation, interest or ability is a criterion, but not the sole criterion, in the selection process.

Other actions

In other action, the cabinet supported Continuing-Eligibility Issues Subcommittee recommendations to sponsor legislation that would require students who are entering their second year of enrollment to present a cumulative minimum grade-point average of at least 1.800 (4.000 scale) and a 2.000 grade-point average entering the third and following year.

The cabinet also agreed to sponsor legislation that requires certification of the grade-point average at the conclusion of each term.

A recommendation from the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Subcommittee that received cabinet support would expand Bylaw14.2.4.2 to include the sport of basketball. The bylaw, which currently applies only to the sport of tennis, reduces intercollegiate athletics eligibility by one year for each year following the first year after high-school gradation that a student-athlete participates in organized athletics activity. It also requires the student-athlete who has engaged in organized basketball competition following the first year after high school to serve an academic year in residence before being eligible for competition.

Several subcommittees noted that they had had discussions regarding the impact of an increasing number of international student-athletes on college sports. The Agents and Amateurism Subcommittee offered recommendations to this end regarding extra benefits. The Continuing-Eligibility Issues Subcommittee did not support a legislative proposal that would grant exceptions for international student-athletes who have participated in organized competition during time spent in a foreign armed services after the student's 21st birthday. The Student-Athlete Reinstatement Subcommittee indicated that it is continuing to review the effect on the sport of basketball of recruiting international student-athletes.

Other legislative items supported by the cabinet include:

Permitting member institutions that host an NCAA or conference championship to produce a poster promoting the championship and to send such posters to high-school coaches or their educational institutions.

Prohibiting any individual who has been found or pleaded guilty to sports bribery, point shaving or game fixing from having any involvement as an operator, staff member or participant in an NCAA certified basketball event or summer basketball league.

Requiring that institutional camps/clinics in the sports of football and basketball be held on the institution's campus, at the institution's regular home facility or, in the event that such facilities are not available, at the nearest available facilities.

Prohibiting women's volleyball teams from engaging in competition against outside teams that include high-school prospects.

Two pieces of de minimis legislation that would decrease the number of circumstances in which an institution is required to declare a student-athlete ineligible as a result of a violation where the student-athlete or prospect did not receive a benefit and little or no recruiting or competitive advantage occurred.

Permitting student-athletes to work as tutors in a student-athlete academic advising unit controlled by the athletics department and earn compensation up to $2,000 without considering such earnings as institutional aid.