GAMBLING

Senate leadership pushed to allow gambling legislation vote

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, appealed to Senate leaders June 22 to allow a vote on S.2340, the Amateur Sports Integrity Act.

"We are asking for a simple amendment on this authorization bill," Brownback said in a speech on the Senate floor. "We would agree to an hour of debate equally divided between both sides. I am willing to start tonight. I am willing to go through the night. I am willing to go tomorrow, Saturday to bring this issue before this body. It is an important matter, and it needs to come before this body. We seek an up-or-down vote on it."

Several other senators joined Brownback in urging the Senate leadership to schedule floor time to consider the legislation, which was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee April 13. The House Judiciary Committee is expected to consider H.R. 3575, the House version of the bill, in July.

Staff contacts: Doris Dixon and William S. Saum.

LITIGATION

New initial-eligiblity suite filed in Philadelphia

A new lawsuit challenging NCAA Division I initial-eligibility standards has been filed in federal court in Philadelphia.

The class-action suit claims that Division I initial-eligibility standards violate the federal Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI.

The plaintiffs in the new case are represented by the same attorneys who represented Tai Kwan Cureton and others in their challenge of Division I initial-eligibility regulations. A U.S. district court judge initially ruled for Cureton, but the ruling was overturned by a federal appeals court.

Staff contact: Elsa Kircher Cole.

BASEBALL EQUIPMENT

Enhancements to standards recommended by research panel

The NCAA Baseball Research Panel has made several recommendations that will enhance equipment standards already in place to preserve the integrity of the game.

The panel, which met June 2, voted to recommend changes to the ball standard, the establishment of an "moment-of-inertia" requirement, the use of a swing-speed sliding scale for nonwood bats in testing, and a uniform ball-exit speed based on a 33-inch wooden bat as the standard for certification of nonwood bats.

The recommendations are projected to become effective January 1, 2002, to give the baseball community ample time to adjust to the changes.

For more information, see the June 19 issue of The NCAA News.

Staff contact: Ty Halpin.

CERTIFIED EVENTS

Division I subcommittee recommends 36 certified events

The Certified Events Subcommittee of the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet has recommended to the cabinet that 36 events be approved for 2000-01 winter and spring sports -- 23 in men's basketball, nine in women's basketball and one in men's and women's basketball. The other events are two in men's ice hockey and one in baseball.

The subcommittee deferred certification on two men's basketball events, the Puerto Rico Shootout and the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic.

Sponsors of those events wished to conduct early round games of the tournaments on sites within the continental United States, which is contrary to the intent of NCAA Bylaw 30.10.1.3. That bylaw regulates the conduct of exempted contests outside the continental United States. The subcommittee has asked the event sponsors to resubmit application materials based on all games being conducted in Puerto Rico.

Staff contacts: Robert A. Oliver.