While the NCAA has long discussed changes in amateurism, there has never been meaningful change. At the January 2001 Convention, we will be voting on legislative proposals dealing with amateurism issues during the pre-enrollment period. The proposed new principles re-emphasize the values that make Division II unique, but they also recognize the changing environment of intercollegiate athletics.

Division II can be very proud of the road we took to bring amateurism deregulation to the forefront. Because the Division II membership had a concern that Division II championships were being dominated by an older, elite international student-athlete, we initially formed a project team to examine the issue. After reviewing numerous data from three different years and further exploring the top finishers in NCAA championships, the project team found that age did not have a statistically significant impact on Division II athletics. However, the Division II membership continued to be deeply concerned that we had a competitive-equity issue and asked for the NCAA to re-examine the issues.

At the same time, the Division II Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement recognized many inconsistencies with the application of current legislation and felt strongly that Division II needed to continue to study amateurism issues. The committee recommended to the Division II Management Council the formation of an amateurism project team and an in-depth study of all amateurism bylaws. The Management Council and the Presidents Council concurred with the recommendation and appointed the project team in 1999.

The amateurism project team has worked for just over a year and will be presenting to the Management Council in April a package of proposed legislation on pre-enrollment issues that entails deregulation of amateurism rules for prospective student-athletes only. The package will include: acceptance of prize money, participation in organized competition before initial collegiate enrollment,

draft and contracts, competition with professionals and pay for play.

There were two central themes that propelled the amateurism project team as it reviewed and re-examined different aspects of the legislative proposals -- student-athlete welfare and competitive equity. In an effort to strive toward competitive equity, the project team has developed a seasons-of-competition rule. This rule will address the competitive advantages gained by prospective student-athletes who engage in high levels of organized competition after high-school graduation and before initial, full-time collegiate enrollment. Those prospective student-athletes will be charged with a season of eligibility for every calendar year they engage in such competition and will have to fulfill an academic year of residence upon enrollment.

In NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey's State of the Association address in 1999 and again in 2000, he urged the membership to deregulate amateurism bylaws and do what was in the best interests of student-athletes. Division II has embraced President Dempsey's call and the amateurism project team has presented these proposed ideas for change to the Management and Presidents Councils, Faculty Athletic Representatives Association, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and to the Division II membership at the 2000 NCAA Convention issues forum in San Diego. After each presentation, the project team received encouragement to continue to pursue the type of legislation that will bring forward change and that will affect student-athletes in a positive manner and finally solve the competitive inequity so prevalent in Division II.

As we attend conference meetings this spring, it is critical to engage our colleagues in a thorough review of the amateurism pre-enrollment proposals and to have a full understanding of the issues. The national office will be mailing a package of the proposals and accompanying educational documents to all athletics directors and conference commissioners in March. The concepts presented by your Management Council representative, while very different from status quo, will strengthen and protect the competitive-equity issues for the domestic and international student-athlete, and at the same time protect the welfare of all student-athletes.

Carol M. Dunn is the director of athletics at California State University, Los Angeles. She served for five years on the Division II Management Council, during which time she served on the project 150 team and the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee. She continues to serve on the amateurism project team.