A total of 15 proposals -- 11 in Division II and four in Division III -- have been submitted from the membership for consideration at the 2003 Convention in Anaheim, California.

The total is two fewer than were submitted from the membership for the 2002 Convention but three more than for 2001.

Of the 11 proposals in Division II, two concern audit procedures for athletics departments. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference submitted a proposal that would allow schools to count an overall institutional financial audit (as long as it includes an audit of all athletics department funds) as the "once-every-three-years" athletics audit currently required.

Sponsors contend that many institutions already require regular institutional audits of athletics department expenditures, and that to meet the current NCAA requirement, the institution must hire expensive external auditors to review the same information. The proposed exception would reduce expenses and administrative burden for Division II institutions while ensuring that all athletics departments remain subject to a financial audit at least once every three years.

A proposal from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference advocates that an institution's rules-compliance program should be reviewed by the NCAA, the conference office or an outside authority at least once every 10 years.

Sponsors say the proposal enhances the Institutional Self-Study Guide, which is to be completed once every five years. The "once-in-10- years" compliance review would not increase costs since the NCAA or conference office would conduct it, and the review would ensure a level playing field in the areas of certification, recruiting and financial aid.

Two other Division II proposals involve women's basketball. One from the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the Northeast-10 Conference establishes a dead period between the Saturday before the start of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship through noon Wednesday after the championship game. Another from the Northeast-10 and the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference limits the number of evaluations at AAU events to a maximum of four during May and June.

Those two conferences also submitted a proposal that establishes November 15 as a common start date for basketball. This is similar to the deregulation proposals sponsored last year by the Presidents Council for fall and spring sports.

In Division III, the University Athletic Association has proposed reserving at least 50 percent of championship fields in team sports for at-large berths. Conference members argue that the proposal provides equitable opportunities for student-athletes who have demonstrated that their qualifications are comparable to automatic qualifiers.

Another Division III proposal from the State University of New York Athletic Conference sets the first contest date in basketball as four weeks after October 15. The legislation is intended to provide for four weeks of preseason every year regardless of the calendar jump, since the first contest date would no longer be tied to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Divisions II and III membership proposals

Division II proposals

No. 1 Institutional Control -- Budgetary Control -- Financial Audit

Intent: To specify that a member institution may satisfy the "once-every-three-years" financial audit requirement of its athletics department, provided the institution conducts an overall institutional financial audit at least once every three years and the overall institutional financial audit includes an audit of all athletics department funds.

Source: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association and North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

Self-Study and Evaluation -- Compliance Review

Intent: To specify that at least once every 10 years an institution's rules-compliance program shall be the subject of review by the NCAA, the conference office or an authority outside of the athletics department approved by the conference office.

Source: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

Student-Athlete

Intent: To permit a prospective student-athlete who has signed a National Letter of Intent to be employed at that institution's summer camp or clinic for up to a total of 10 camp days.

Source: Great Lakes Valley Conference and Northeast-10 Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 4 Financial Aid -- Exempted Government Grants -- State Grants

Intent: To exclude from individual and team limits any state government grants awarded solely on the basis of having no relationship to athletics ability.

Source: Lone Star Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

Challenge Tournament

Intent: In basketball, to permit an institution to exempt one contest as part of a "conference challenge" from an institution's maximum contest limitations as specified.

Source: Northeast-10 Conference and New York Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 6 Playing and Practice Seasons -- Basketball -- First Contest

Intent: In basketball, to specify that a member institution shall not play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition before November 15.

Source: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Northeast-10 Conference and New York Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 7 Playing and Practice Seasons -- First Date of Practice -- Fall Sports

Intent: In the sports of cross country, field hockey, soccer and women's volleyball, to specify that an institution shall not begin practice until 21 days before the institution's first date of competition.

Source: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 8 Playing and Practice Seasons -- First Date of Competition -- Fall Sports

Intent: In the sports of cross country, field hockey, football, soccer and women's volleyball, to specify that an institution shall not engage in its first date of competition before the Thursday before September 1.

Source: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 9 Playing and Practice Seasons -- Permissible Dates and Out-of-Season Activities -- Fall Sports Exemption -- Golf and Tennis

Intent: In golf and tennis, to permit an institution that counts golf or tennis as a fall sport and discontinues its championship segment activities by November 1 (instead of November 15) to add 15 calendar days to the period of 45 consecutive calendar days available during the nonchampionship segment.

Source: North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 10 Recruiting -- Women's Basketball -- Dead Period

Intent: In women's basketball, to establish a dead period between the Saturday before the start of the Division I Women's Basketball Championship through Wednesday, noon, after the championship game.

Source: Great Lakes Valley Conference and Northeast-10 Conference.

Effective date: Immediately.

No. 11 Recruiting Calendar -- Women's Basketball -- AAU Events

Intent: In women's basketball, to limit the number of evaluations at AAU events to a maximum of four during May and June.

Source: Northeast-10 Conference and New York Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 12 Playing and Practice Seasons -- Basketball -- First Contest Date

Intent: In basketball, to establish the first permissible contest date as four weeks after October 15.

Source: State University of New York Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 13 Playing and Practice Seasons -- Noncollegiate Amateur Competition -- Basketball

Intent: In basketball, to permit a student-athlete to compete in noncollegiate amateur basketball competition outside the institution's intercollegiate basketball season.

Source: State University of New York Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 14 Playing and Practice Seasons -- Tennis -- Preseason Practice

Intent: In tennis, to provide institutions that conduct the traditional segment in the fall with 16 practice opportunities before the first contest or September 1, whichever is later.

Source: Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2003.

No. 15 Executive Regulations -- Selection of Teams and Individuals for Championships

Intent: In all sports, to require that at least 50 percent of the championship field originally designated for the respective sport shall be reserved for at-large berths, as specified.

Source: University Athletic Association

Effective date: August 1, 2005.