The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- July 5, 1999

Decisions near on future of two Division I cabinets

After several months of review, the fate of two Division I cabinets may be approaching resolution.

Having been charged by the Division I Management Council to review their functions, the Strategic Planning and Business/Finance Cabinets have prepared their final recommendations for Council review in July.

Both groups either propose or are prepared for significant changes, including the Strategic Planning Cabinet's recommendation for the apportionment of its duties should the Management Council recommend its dissolution.

The cabinet, which met June 22-23 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, focused its recommendations on four areas: communications, governance structure and strategic planning, gambling, and Association-wide committees' reporting lines.

The cabinet's recommendations regarding Association communications were as follows: First, cabinet members stressed their belief that it is important for the NCAA to determine the central image and focus that it wants to present to all its constituent groups. Then the cabinet recommended that the Association should allow for membership review of the public relations plan and that the Association should increase communications efforts with the membership concerning the NCAA's governance structure.

Regarding governance and strategic planning, the cabinet stressed that it was important to continue to develop a strategic planning process that ensures NCAA money and activities are being targeted at issues that have been identified by the appropriate NCAA leadership. The cabinet also recommended that the Association continue to develop an understandable delineation of the responsibilities of the various governance entities such as committees, cabinets, Management Council and Board of Directors.

The cabinet also recommended that the NCAA, in support of its strong statement against gambling, financially support efforts to educate all groups within intercollegiate athletics on the dangers and consequences of gambling, including (but not limited to): implementing a comprehensive plan of the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct; continuing research on the extent of the problem; creating and disseminating quality educational materials; and conducting follow-up studies on the effectiveness of countermeasures.

The cabinet also recommended that the Committee on Women's Athletics and the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee report directly to the Division I Management Council should the cabinet be dissolved. That recommendation is based on the importance of the work done by those committees.

Business/Finance changes

The Business/Finance Cabinet, which includes a marketing committee, also proposes significant changes but suggests that the cabinet exist in a different format that emphasizes its marketing capacity and eliminates its budgetary responsibilities.

Meeting June 22-23 in San Antonio, the cabinet reaffirmed a previous recommendation to create a Marketing/Public Affairs Cabinet that would act as a marketing, licensing and promotional liaison with the membership and that would assist in administering public affairs initiatives for the Association.

The cabinet would continue to be composed of 26 members and would retain the same representation requirements currently in place. The cabinet, though, would consist of two committees, one for marketing and one for public affairs. Each committee would review proposals or issues pertaining to its specific area and make recommendations to the Management Council.

The cabinet reaffirmed its recommendation after reviewing several alternatives.

Cabinet members agreed on the importance of long-term diversification of Association revenues and marketing efforts, and they believe their proposal for establishing a Marketing/Public Affairs Cabinet allows a representative group in the membership to carry on the work of the 1996 Special Committee to Study Marketing, Licensing and Promotions and provides an opportunity for the membership to monitor, review and update policies approved by the special committee and the Executive Committee.

The cabinet also intends for the new body to act as the first membership entity to receive and review proposals concerning marketing, licensing and promotional initiatives, rather than the common practice of having sports committees being presented such proposals.

Final decision expected

Both the Strategic Planning and Business/Finance Cabinets' proposals are in response to requests from the Management Council to evaluate whether the cabinets should continue to exist or whether the functions the cabinets perform could be addressed as effectively by the Council or a committee that reports directly to the Council.

The Council, after making the requests in January, heard preliminary recommendations from the cabinets in April that were then referred to its Subcommittee to Review the Governance Structure for further study.

Since that time, the subcommittee has corresponded with both cabinets regarding the possibility of reassigning the duties of the two cabinets to existing or new entities.

The new recommendations will be considered by the subcommittee before the Management Council's July 26-27 meeting. The Council is expected to make final recommendations regarding the cabinets at that time.