The Division II Management Council, acting on a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, has approved a drug-testing pilot project in Division II baseball.

The purpose of the baseball drug-testing pilot program is to assess the level of anabolic-steroid use in the sport. In the 2001 NCAA study of student-athlete substance use, baseball had the second-highest reported steroid use of the major sports programs. Reported steroid use among minor-league baseball players also contributed to concerns by the competitive-safeguards committee.

Division II baseball student-athletes will be provided with an addendum to the drug-testing consent form (Form 01-3e) explaining the pilot project. The addendum will be sent to all Division II schools that sponsor baseball. It should be signed and kept on file at the institution, along with the signed drug-testing consent forms.

Additional notice about the pilot program will be provided through a memorandum to participating athletics departments, informational pieces in the mailing of the Summary of Action/
Important Championships Information from the Division II Baseball Committee and presentations at the January baseball coaches convention.

Information about the NCAA drug-testing program may be found at www.ncaa.org/sports_
sciences/drugtesting. For additional information about the pilot project, contact the National Center for Drug Free Sport at 816/474-8655.