The Division I-AA Football Governance Committee reviewed an application for certification of what would be the first Division I-AA preseason exempted event during its January 7 meeting in conjunction with the NCAA Convention in San Diego.

The group also recommended modifications to criteria that were established primarily for Division I-A events in order to conduct such an event under criteria that make sense for Division I-AA events.

The application concerns a proposed NAACP/HBCU Kick-off Classic, which tentatively has been scheduled for August 2000. The committee noted that the current legislated requirements for football exempted events in Bylaw 30.10.2, including the financial guarantees and a $1.5 million letter of credit, apply to Divisions I-A and I-AA but were drafted for Division I-A events and do not appear appropriate for Division I-AA.

The committee agreed to forward emergency legislation to the Board of Directors to establish the following Division I-AA specific requirements, effective immediately, noting that all other requirements would remain the same:

Payment in advance for travel expenses consistent with those provided to the institutions that participate in the Division I-AA football championship game;

$175,000 financial guarantee to each institution above expenses;

$1 million letter of credit.

The Board of Directors subsequently adopted the proposal at its January 11 meeting.

The committee will now review the application for the NAACP/HBCU Kick-off Classic under the modified Division I-AA requirements as set forth in Proposal No. 2000-02.

Legislation was passed last year in both Divisions I-A and I-AA that will eliminate preseason exempted contests after the 2002 season. The promoters of the proposed event have indicated that they are considering possibly moving this event into the regular season.

In other actions, the committee discussed the 1999 Heritage Bowl, noting that it would be reviewing the information related to the certification of this event, including the financial audit from the 1999 contest, and that the 2000 and 2001 calendars will permit the contest to be conducted on a date different from the date of the Division I-AA championship game.

The committee also reviewed the provisions of Bylaw 17-10.5.2-(f) regarding Division I-AA conference championships and noted that the application of this legislation was not intended to preclude a Division I-AA institution from participating in both a conference championship and another postseason football opportunity during the same season. The committee agreed to request that the full Management Council issue that interpretation and include appropriate language in the 2000-01 Manual. The Council subsequently issued the interpretation as requested.

The committee also received a report that the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee had appointed a Division I-A football student-athlete as a liaison to the Division I Football Issues Committee and suggested that a Division I-AA football student-athlete also should be selected as a liaison to the Football Issues Committee. The Council subsequently referred this recommendation to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet and the Division I Football Issues Committee.