The NCAA Executive Committee approved a $325.6 million budget for fiscal-year 2000-01 during its August 11 meeting in Indianapolis. The new budget includes increased revenues of $22.2 million, a 7.3 percent increase over the current budget.

Most of the new revenue comes from increases in television rights income of $14.6 million. There also is a $5.5 million increase in championships revenue and a $2.1 million increase in licensing and royalty income.

More than half of the revenue, $171.2 million, will be redistributed directly to Division I institutions to support their athletics programs, including $25.9 million earmarked specifically for the Special Assistance Fund for student-athletes ($10 million) and for the Academic Enhancement Fund to support educational goals of student-athletes ($15.9 million).

A total of $67 million goes to support NCAA championships ($44.1 million for Division I, and $23.7 million for Divisions II and III championships and other initiatives). The NCAA will conduct 84 championships in 22 sports in 2000-01.

Another $14.3 million is earmarked for student-athlete welfare efforts, including $7.4 million for catastrophic-injury insurance for the 350,000 student-athletes who participate in NCAA sports, and $3.4 million for drug testing and drug education.

Nearly $37.7 million is included in the new budget for other membership services and programs, including $9.3 million to promote college sports.

Approximately $20.2 million (6.2 percent) is included in the budget for administrative services, including operation of the national office.

The budget also allocates $10 million to Association reserves, which moves the NCAA closer to its target of having four months' worth of operating expenditures in a reserve fund at any given time. The allocation brings those reserves, which were depleted in the payout of the restricted-earnings coaches case two years ago, to about $33 million at the end of 2001. The Executive Committee believes the reserve fund will be at the target level by the end of the 2001-02 fiscal year.

Confederate flag issue

The Executive Committee also revisited an issue that it discussed in April regarding a request for the South Carolina state legislature to remove the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse dome.

The Committee in April agreed to cancel future Association-sponsored events in South Carolina if the flag was not removed from the dome by the Committee's August meeting. Since that time, the flag has been removed from atop the dome and placed elsewhere on the statehouse grounds.

That action has not completely satisfied some constituent groups, including the NAACP, which has continued its boycott in South Carolina and has asked the NCAA for support in that regard. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference also has called for similar action in Georgia with regard to official displays of the Confederate battle flag.

To address those requests, the Executive Committee adopted the following statement:

"The NCAA thanks the legislature and governor of South Carolina for their responsiveness to the NCAA's April resolution that the Confederate flag be removed from its position atop the South Carolina statehouse.

"The NCAA wishes to express its continuing concern over any official symbol that conveys discrimination and racism. Our organization condemns all forms of discrimination and racism.

"We urge that there be continuing discussion and attention to these issues and we will continue to monitor circumstances that create inhospitable environments for our student-athletes.

"The NCAA reaffirms its commitment to its principle of nondiscrimination."

No other action was taken at the meeting to address requests to move NCAA events from South Carolina and Georgia. Executive Committee Chair Charles Wethington, president of the University of Kentucky, noted, however, that the Association will continue to monitor activities in those states.

"This is a matter of considerable concern to this committee and this organization," Wethington said. "Our paramount concern is for the welfare of student-athletes who are asked to travel to specific locales to participate in NCAA championships. So, we will continue to watch these issues closely."