ORLANDO, Florida -- A 14-member panel composed primarily of college presidents has been appointed to oversee a comprehensive study of intercollegiate football issues.

The Committee to Oversee the NCAA Football Study, appointed by the Division I Board of Directors at its January 8 meeting during the NCAA Convention, will launch a review that could produce recommendations for significant change that would be effective by August 1, 2003.

The group includes eight voting members -- all college presidents -- and six ex officio, nonvoting members. In addition, several members were identified as potential "resource individuals" that could be invited to participate in meetings on an as-needed basis. The composition of the committee includes representatives from Divisions I-A, I-AA and II, various NCAA governance entities, the American Football Coaches Association and the Collegiate Commissioners Association.

Charles Wethington, president at the University of Kentucky and past chair of the NCAA Executive Committee, was appointed to chair the committee.

The group will use the NCAA's current committee structure to conduct an analysis of college football issues that impact the Association and adopted a timetable that would result in a final report for consideration by the Board of Directors in October 2002, with proposed legislative changes effective by August 1, 2003.

The panel follows other special committees appointed since the NCAA restructured in 1997 that are devoted to intensive study of specific issues over a short period of time.

The oversight committee also will review more philosophical issues such as the pressures affecting football budgets and expenses, including attendance problems for some Division I-A and I-AA institutions, financial differences among programs and deficit spending associated with bowl game participation.

Other topics to be studied include researching student-athletes' football "quality of life," medical safety and injuries, graduation rates, length of the season and behavior and sportsmanship. Diversity issues, specifically the lack of minority head coaches in NCAA football, also will be reviewed.

The oversight committee plans to begin identifying other fundamental issues and the responsible groups to review all topics. Throughout the spring and summer, governance groups will provide status reports to the oversight committee and begin to draft legislation. In October, the oversight committee will evaluate the possible impact of recommendations on the Division I structure and report to the Board of Directors.

During the 2002 NCAA Convention, a forum will be offered to discuss football issues that affect Division I and in April 2002, the Division I Management Council will consider an initial review of proposals, with final review of legislative proposals by the Management Council and Board in October 2002.

Other highlights

Division I Board of Directors
January 8/Orlando, Florida

Approved a framework allocation for the first five years (fiscal-year 2003 through 2007) of the new CBS contract. Also supported a preliminary allocation of an additional $10.5 million in Division I distribution and $1 million for Division I championships initiatives for 2001-02.

Approved a request from the Championships/Competition Cabinet and the Management Council to adopt emergency, noncontroversial legislation (Proposal No. 01-1) that establishes the official traveling party size at 31 for the National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championship. (Effective date: immediately.)

Approved a request from the Division I-AA Football Governance Committee and the Management Council to adopt emergency, noncontroversial legislation (Proposal No. 01-2) to specify that in a situation in which a Division I-AA conference representative to the Management Council is not from a participating member of the Division I-AA football conference, the conference may appoint another representative (who is from an institution that plays football in that conference) as its representative on the Division I-AA Football Governance Committee. (Effective date: immediately.)

Discussed the need to be attentive to diversity and subdivisional representation in the rotation of chairs of the Division I cabinets, the Management Council and Board of Directors, and agreed to appoint a nominating committee for the Board that would determine nominations for the position of chair of the Board in future years.

Appointed the following members to begin terms on the Division I Management Council:

Robert Aronson, faculty athletics representative, University of Washington (reselection)

Ellen Perry, associate director of athletics, Pennsylvania State University (reselection)

Richard Tharp, director of athletics, University of Colorado, Boulder (reselection)

Darlene Bailey, senior woman administrator, Southwest Missouri State University

Mike Bobinski, director of athletics, Xavier University

Alison Cone, associate director of athletics, California Polytechnic State University

Paul Dee, director of athletics, University of Miami (Florida)

Cheryl Levick, director of athletics, Santa Clara University

Stephanie McDonald, assistant commissioner, Mid-American Conference

Bernadette McGlade, associate commissioner, Atlantic Coast Conference

James Murphy, director of athletics, Davidson College

Kevin Porter, assistant director of athletics, Northeastern University

Lynda Tealer, associate commissioner, Southland Conference

Committee to Oversee NCAA Football Study

Voting members

Leroy Davis, president, South Carolina State University

Carol Harter, president, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Robert E. Hemenway, president, University of Kansas

William E. Kirwan, president, Ohio State University

Edward A. Malloy, president, University of Notre Dame

V. Lane Rawlins, president, Washington State University

Joseph A. Steger, president, University of Cincinnati

Charles Wethington, president, University of Kentucky, chair

Ex officio, nonvoting members

Deloss Dodds, director of athletics, University of Texas at Austin

Charles Harris, commissioner, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Jerry E. McGee, president, Wingate University

Grant Teaff, executive director, American Football Coaches Association

Greg Sankey, commissioner, Southland Conference

John Swofford, commissioner, Atlantic Coast Conference