The NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet has given final approval to a set of proposals designed to deregulate certain amateurism bylaws, especially those dealing with prospective student-athletes.

At its September 5-7 meeting in Indianapolis, the cabinet approved proposals submitted by its Subcommittee on Agents and Amateurism and agreed to send them forward to the Division I Management Council in October. The cabinet also agreed to submit the proposals as a package, except for a revision to the "organized competition" rule, which will move forward as a separate proposal.

The subcommittee recommended and the cabinet approved an amendment to the organized competition rule that requires application of the rule if a prospect discontinues full-time high-school enrollment to practice or participate in competition. Also approved by the cabinet was a refinement of the organized competition definition to include individual sports and to include practice activities with a professional team (excluding a 48-hour tryout).

In an effort to combat the influence of agents who target elite enrolled student-athletes and use the payment of their disability insurance premiums as an inducement, the cabinet supported a proposal permitting the NCAA to pay for such premiums. In addition, the cabinet also agreed to forward a proposal to permit elite student-athletes to obtain a loan based on their future potential professional athletics earnings. Under the proposal, the loan program would be established through a centralized lending institution.

In other business, the cabinet approved a series of changes to Bylaw 16 that would provide certain benefits to student-athletes that have little or no cost implications to the institution. Included are proposals that would:

* Allow student-athletes to remain on a foreign tour and use the return ticket provided by the institution after the conclusion of the competition.

* Allow student-athletes to participate in receptions and festivities associated with championships, conference tournaments or all-star events hosted on the institution's campus.

* Allow parents of student-athletes to provide occasional meals to team members at any location.

* Allow the athletics director or a designee to provide occasional telephone calls in emergency situations.

* Allow institutions to provide student-athletes with reasonable tokens of support and transportation in the event of serious injury, serious illness or death of a family member, and provide transportation for a student-athlete to attend a funeral of a family member.

* Allow institutions to conduct fund-raisers for student-athletes or their immediate family members under extreme circumstances as long as a number of guidelines are met.

* Allow institutions to pay the cost of admission or meals for student-athletes being honored at a nonathletics awards ceremony.