NCAA ONLINE

Online improvements to aid membership

Three new online initiatives that should produce major benefits for the membership will become operational on or about August 1.

On August 1, the Legislative Services Database for the Internet (LSDBi) will be unveiled. The database will be Web-based through NCAA Online (www.ncaa.org), meaning that the three division Manuals and interpretations will be available through a Web browser and at a faster access speed than before.

The online Manuals will be updated after each legislative cycle. The LSDBi will contain more than 9,000 interpretations of NCAA rules.

A mailing was sent to the membership in late July explaining how to log on to the new system. The mailing also gave detailed information about user names and passwords.

The second initiative involves electronic submission of the NCAA sports sponsorship form, the institutional demographic form and the conference membership information form via NCAA Online for the 2000-01 academic year. Member institutions and conferences will not be receiving the forms through traditional mail.

A memorandum about the forms has been sent to directors of athletics and chief executive officers at each member institution and to the commissioner of each conference. The memorandum includes instructions on how to fill out the forms through the NCAA Web site. It also includes user names and passwords for institutions and conferences.

The requested information must be submitted no later than August 15.

Finally, the membership and general public will be able to order NCAA publications online beginning in early August.

Staff contacts: David W. Schnase,LSDBi; Pete Oliszczak,sports sponsorship forms; and Michael J. King, publications ordering.

STAFF

Championships Bork leaves staff after 22 years

Tricia Bork, vice-president for championships, will leave the Association July 31 after 22 years as a member of the NCAA staff.

BASEBALL RULES

Committee makes no immediate changes to bats

The NCAA Baseball Rules Committee agreed to make no immediate changes concerning specifications for baseball bats and balls that are used in NCAA play.

The committee did establish several limits during its annual meeting July 10-13 to hold bat and ball performance at current levels.

Staff contact: Ty Halpin.

RESEARCH

Catastrophic football injuries less frequent than in '60s and '70s

less frequent than in '60s and '70s

The most recent comprehensive study of catastrophic sports injuries shows that serious head and neck injuries in football continue to occur much less frequently than they did in the 1960s and 1970s.