The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- August 30, 1999

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee determines position on amateurism issues

As amateurism issues heat up within the Association, the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has begun developing its position.

The committee reacted to a presentation on amateurism deregulation efforts made during its July 23-24 meeting in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The presentation was made by NCAA staff on behalf of the Division I Academics/
Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Amateurism and Agents.

The subcommittee has worked for the last two years to develop possible changes regarding the period before a prospect's initial collegiate enrollment. The subcommittee has advocated expansion of what is commonly known as the "tennis rule" to all sports, and allowing prospective student-athletes to accept money in some circumstances before enrolling in college.

The SAAC expressed unanimous support for the general deregulation efforts of the subcommittee and supported the expansion of Bylaw 14.2.4.2, which would allow prospects in all NCAA sports, under certain conditions, to accept prize money, enter drafts or sign professional contracts within one year after graduating from high school.

The subcommittee also had recommended that any prospect who violates the one-year grace period would be required to fulfill an academic year in residence before being eligible, but the SAAC did not take a position regarding that proposal.

The subcommittee's report has been presented to the Divisions I, II and III Management Councils and presidential groups as well, and it is expected that legislation may be proposed regarding the subcommittee's recommendations as early as this fall. The SAAC will forward its stance to the Division I Management Council for consideration in October.

The SAAC also discussed voluntary summer strength and conditioning activities in light of a request from the Collegiate Commissioners Association Compliance Administrators (CCACA) to clarify existing legislation. The CCACA had asked the SAAC to comment on a list of permissible types of activities in which strength and conditioning personnel may be involved in during the summer per Bylaw 17.02.1.1-(m).

The committee expressed strong concern that summer conditioning activities are perceived as "mandatory," which it believes compromises the intent of the legislation. Further, the committee noted that the legislation specifically states that strength and conditioning personnel may monitor, supervise or assist student-athletes in summer workout programs for safety purposes only.

To emphasize that point, the SAAC recommended only two permissible activities in which strength and conditioning personnel may be involved: (1) Monitoring proper weightlifting techniques (including spotting and the use of resistance tubing); and (2) answering questions and offering instruction to student-athletes regarding weight training or conditioning programs only when initiated by student-athletes.

In another action, the SAAC discussed the use of computers and the Internet in the recruiting process. The Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Recruiting had asked the SAAC to provide input related to the use of technology in recruiting. The SAAC recommended that current legislation be applied to new technology in order to avoid the intrusion of additional recruitment into the lives of prospective student-athletes.

Toward that end, the committee recommended the following: