A year after developing priorities that establish a philosophical foundation for the future, the NCAA Executive Committee has reaffirmed its commitment to those priorities as a framework for the coming years.

Meeting November 2 in Indianapolis, the Executive Committee revisited four key priorities the group had established in October 1999:

Prepare student-athletes for leadership in a dynamic and diverse society;

Reinforce the values of fairness and integrity in intercollegiate athletics;

Increase access to higher education and enhance the collegiate experience; and

Highlight the capacity of college sports to foster lifelong learning and health.

"Those priorities have served as the framework for the establishment of divisional and presidential priorities," said Executive Committee Chair Charles Wethington, president at the University of Kentucky. "It is our intention to 'stay the course' in our commitment to those priorities so that various Association entities have the opportunity to implement and accomplish their stated initiatives."

In that vein, the Committee noted various initiatives underway that support the priorities. For example, the Committee cited the Association's ongoing work to develop meaningful and viable standards for initial and continuing eligibility, provide access for students with disabilities and special circumstances, and deregulate rules regarding amateurism -- all of which support goals to prepare student-athletes for leadership and reinforce values of fairness and integrity.

The Executive Committee also noted the NCAA's commitment to presidential oversight in the study of issues in basketball, football, access to championships and management of membership growth as efforts to support the existing priorities.

In addition, work is underway to explore ways to limit the spiraling costs in intercollegiate athletics as well as creating divisional philosophies for the role of intercollegiate athletics within higher education. The NCAA also is developing measures to ensure that its programs designed to enhance the collegiate experience are held accountable to that charge.

"It's important not only for the Association to model its programs within the framework provided by these priorities," Wethington said, "but also for each of the three divisions to structure their strategic plans under the same guidelines so that each division's plan works in concert with the overall Association plan to achieve a greater good.

"The Executive Committee showed its continued support by endorsing those priorities."

Confederate flag issue

The Executive Committee also discussed the ongoing Confederate battle flag issue.

The Committee after its last meeting in August acknowledged the South Carolina legislature and governor for their responsiveness to an earlier NCAA resolution that the Confederate flag be removed from atop the South Carolina statehouse; however, the Committee urged that there be "continuing discussion and attention to the issues."

During the November meeting, the Committee agreed to send a letter to college and university presidents requesting feedback from various campus constituents regarding the Confederate flag issue, particularly in regard to hosting NCAA events at sites where the presentation of the Confederate flag might be offensive.

The Committee also asked that NCAA staff assess the legal and financial implications related to changing any current and future championship sites, and that each NCAA division discuss the issue further during the January meetings.

In another matter, the Executive Committee approved a document prepared by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports that explains recent changes in certification requirements made by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA).

The Executive Committee had asked the competitive-safeguards committee to prepare the document as an educational tool to assist member institutions in meeting their emergency care needs. The document also provides several general health care coverage options and specific existing models that may be used as a template for institutions challenged by health care coverage issues.

The Executive Committee voted to send the document to member institutions and post it on the NCAA's Web site (www.ncaa.org). The Committee also noted that the document is consistent with the NCAA position to provide member institutions with alternatives and options to use in their institutional review to address the NATA's educational reform issues.

Other highlights

Executive Committee
November 2/Indianapolis

Received a status report from the NCAA Foundation regarding fund-raising goals and progress from September 1999 through August 2000 and reviewed future goals for November 2000 through August 2001. Through October 2000, the Foundation has raised more than $5.7 million in cash and pledges.

Supported a a resolution from the Executive Committee's Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues that proposes an annual budget allocation to address