The Division I Football Issues Committee is recommending that the Association conduct a comprehensive study of college football.

The proposed study would be conducted by a presidential task force under the guidance of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors. The task force would be composed of individuals appointed by the Board.

The committee made the recommendation at its June 21-22 meeting in Indianapolis after reviewing Proposal No. 2000-36. That proposal stipulates that an institution would satisfy Division I-A football attendance requirements if it averaged more than 17,000 in actual paid attendance for home contests in the immediate four-year period. The proposal also would eliminate exceptions and waivers for attendance requirements.

The proposed legislation is intended to establish more stringent attendance standards consistent with expectations for competing in the subdivision. At the same time, proponents believe it would provide deserving institutions interested in moving to Division I-A with the opportunity to participate at that level.

But many questions have been raised regarding the application of the proposal -- so many, in fact, that the Management Council's Membership Subcommittee is requesting that the Council clarify several items within the proposal during its July meeting in Boston.

Related discussions

Other football membership discussions have taken place over the past several months. Among those are the increased migration of Division I-AA football institutions to Division I-A, the structure of postseason football opportunities in all of Division I and revenue-distribution opportunities that could be generated from various alternative postseason models.

The Football Issues Committee is concerned that those issues are being examined separately and would prefer a more uniform approach to identifying issues and solutions. Thus, the group is recommending the comprehensive study of football under the auspices of the Division I Board of Directors.

The study would review the overall structure of college football to determine if it provides the greatest opportunities for an enhanced student-athlete experience and the highest quality of postseason participation. Specific topics the study might consider would include the structure of postseason football, governance and membership issues, enhancing the image of the sport, financial concerns, and a review of legislation that could affect the sport.

The committee also recommends that further review of Proposal No. 2000-36 be suspended until the comprehensive report is completed.

Though the committee did not suggest the composition of the group that would conduct the study (nor did it specify a timeline for the study's completion), there was a consensus that increased presidential involvement on football membership issues is necessary. The group believes that administering the study under the guidance of the Board of Directors will allow for that involvement, though the committee also is recommending that other football constituents be involved in conducting the study.

The committee's recommendations will be forwarded to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet for consideration at its September meeting.

Other issues

In other items of note during the committee's recent meeting, the group:

Endorsed a proposal for granting a fifth year of eligibility to student-athletes in lieu of a waiver process. Such a proposal would eliminate the need to redshirt players or to apply for hardship waivers under the current structure. The proposal came from the American Football Coaches Association, which noted that any fifth-year eligibility legislation would most likely be applicable to all sports. Similar legislation was proposed in 1994, but the Division I sponsors withdrew the proposal and instead urged the NCAA Council to study the five-year eligibility issue further. The Council, however, declined to support the concept.

Received a report from its Football Certification Subcommittee, which is recommending that the full committee address the issue of granting postseason bowl credentials to representatives from the National Football League. Current policy states that credentials should not be granted to NFL members at bowl games, a practice that the Football Issues Committee voted to continue.

Heard a report from NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey regarding football issues, including an update on the financial impact of NCAA Football and its positive effect on the image of the sport.

Reviewed the annual postseason football report and expressed concern about an increased number of teams and conferences guaranteeing ticket sales in order to defray the cost of bowl participation. The group also expressed concern over the proliferation of postseason bowls, noting that the increased number could dilute the value of the postseason experience.

Recommended that DeLoss Dodds, director of athletics at the University of Texas at Austin, serve as chair, effective September