The NCAA Executive Committee's subcommittee on gender and diversity has recommended that a comprehensive report on American Indian mascot issues be referred to the NCAA governance structure for additional review.

The Report on the Use of American Indian Mascots in Intercollegiate Athletics, developed by the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC), will be distributed to the presidential bodies, Management Councils and championships groups in all three divisions.

The Executive Committee endorsed the subcommittee's recommendation at its November 1 meeting in Indianapolis. The group also recommended that schools that currently use American Indian mascots be given an opportunity to provide input on the matter.

The MOIC report culminated 18 months of study, an effort that the Executive Committee commended. The report acknowledges that "institutions currently using American Indian mascots, nicknames and symbols often do so as part of an honored and revered college tradition established to emulate noble qualities of American Indian people and their culture, such as courage, dignity, strength and loyalty. Often the intent in using American Indian mascots, nicknames and logos in intercollegiate athletics is to honor these people and the culture.

"However," the report said, "in acknowledgement of today's diverse society, the global expansion of higher education and the NCAA constitution that supports the honor and dignity of all persons, the MOIC believes when American Indians are used as a mascot, harmful stereotypes may result. While the committee feels that it is time for this tradition to be retired, it acknowledges and supports a member institution's self-determination on this issue."

The report outlines specific recommendations for institutions, conferences and the NCAA to conduct self-analyses of whether such mascot usage can be viewed as offensive.

The Executive Committee subcommittee agreed that the use of American Indian mascots in intercollegiate athletics is a concern to the NCAA. However, the group noted that several of the report's recommendations may require additional details from various NCAA constituents.

The subcommittee also noted the MOIC's concern with the 2005 Division II Men's Basketball Championship being held at the University of North Dakota, which uses an American Indian nickname. The MOIC had recommended that the NCAA establish criteria for championship sites that eliminate visibility of American Indian mascots, logos and symbols, and that such criteria apply to sites that already had been determined.

Neither the subcommittee nor the Executive Committee took action on that specific recommendation.

Budget review

In its budget review, the Executive Committee looked at a comparison of budget-to-actual revenues and expenses for fiscal-year 2001-02. That review showed that revenues exceeded the budget by more than $6 million, primarily because of increased television rights fees paid by DirecTV for the Division I Men's Basketball Championship, and increased ticket revenue from larger attendance realized through the "pod" structure in the championship's preliminary rounds. Ticket revenues for championships in Division I baseball, men's ice hockey, wrestling and women's basketball also exceeded budgeted expectations.

The Association also realized more revenue than budgeted in licensing due to either renewals of official ball contracts or payments made above the minimum royalties. Total revenue exceeded the budget by 1.8 percent. Divisions II and III allocations will be greater because of that.

As for expenses, the Division I distribution is more than $5 million due to the supplemental distribution mailed to the Division I membership in February 2002 from the fiscal-year 2000-01 surplus. The most significant budget variances on the expense side are related to Division I championship expenses because of temporary changes in bracketing, travel policies and lower airfares as a result of September 11. Preliminary championship financial results indicate expenses are $6.4 million less than the previous year and $9 million below budget estimates. Association-wide expenses are within their budget parameters, and total-operating expenses for the Association will be under budget by about 3 percent.

In all, the preliminary budget-to-actual for fiscal-year 2001-02 indicates a surplus of about $17 million. The Division I Budget Committee and Executive Committee Budget Committee will meet before the Executive Committee's January meeting to provide recommendations on how the excess dollars should be allocated. The Executive Committee noted that much of the surplus is circumstantially based and would not be realized on an annual basis.

Risk-management issues

In April, the Executive Committee appointed a special risk-management and insurance task force to review the Association's insurance programs.

The task force was composed of campus risk-management professionals, a representative from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports and a representative from the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and was charged with reviewing student-athlete insurance coverage and business coverage for the Association.

The Executive Committee approved the following task force recommendations:

* That each NCAA member institution be required to certify that student-athletes are insured for athletically related injuries either through (1) parents' or guardians' insurance coverage; (2) the student-athlete's personal insurance coverage; or (3) the institution's insurance or self-insurance program.

Current NCAA legislation does not require student-athletes to be insured for athletically related injuries. The task force believes that adding such a requirement would eliminate a potential gap in coverage. As a condition of future NCAA membership, institutions would be required to certify that their student-athletes are insured before they compete in athletics. (This recommendation requires legislative action in all three divisions.)

* That NCAA legislation be amended to permit member institutions, at their own discretion, to pay for medical and dental expenses for injuries or illnesses that occur during a non-covered event, if such treatment is necessary to enable the student-athlete to return to competition.

* That the NCAA conduct an expanded feasibility study of about 25 member institutions across all three divisions to evaluate the economic benefit of providing a group purchase program to cover medical expenses for athletically related injuries that currently fall outside the NCAA catastrophic-injury insurance program.

* That the Executive Committee Budget Committee address recommendations related to the Association's business policies on increased coverage for general liability, model legislation to limit the Association's exposure related to rules making, and crisis management planning.

Leadership Advisory Board members

Member -- Term expires

Roy J. Bostock, chair, B/Com3 Group, Inc. -- October 2003

Napoleon Brandford III, chair/co-founder, Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., L.L.C. -- October 2005

Robert J. Brown, chair/CEO, B&C Associates, Inc. -- October 2005

Kenneth I. Chenault, chair/CEO, American Express Company -- October 2004

Thomas Curley, president/publisher, USA Today -- October 2003

Karl Eller, chair/CEO, The Eller Company -- October 2005

Bradford M. Freeman, founding partner, Freeman Spogli & Company -- October 2006

John W. Harris, president/CEO, Lincoln Harris Corporate Services -- October 2004

Calvin Hill, consultant, Alexander & Associates, Inc. -- October 2003

Robert Holland Jr., entrepreneur -- October 2006

Karen L. Katen, president, U.S. Pharmaceuticals Pfizer, Inc. -- October 2005

Edward A. Malloy, president, University of Notre Dame -- October 2003

Peyton Manning, professional football player, Indianapolis Colts and PeyBack Foundation -- October 2004

David B. Mathis, chair/CEO, Kemper Insurance Companies -- October 2005

Leslie Moonves, president/CEO, CBS Television -- October 2004

James T. Morris, executive director, United Nations World Food Program -- October 2003

Charles L. Overby, chair/CEO, The Freedom Forum -- October 2006

Jerry D. Semler, chair/president/CEO, American United Life Insurance Company -- October 2004

William J. Shaw, president/CEO, Marriott International, Inc. -- October 2006

George M. Steinbrenner III, principal owner, New York Yankees -- October 2004

Randall L. Tobias, chair emeritus, Eli Lilly and Company -- October 2004

Christine J. Toretti, president/CEO, S.W. Jack Drilling Company -- October 2004

Donna F. Tuttle, president, Elmore-Tuttle Sports Group -- October 2005

Gary L. Wilson, chair, Northwest Airlines, Inc. -- October 2003

Other highlights

Executive Committee
November 1/Indianapolis

Supported the following NCAA Convention sites for 2004 through 2008: 2004 -- Nashville, Tennessee; 2005 -- Dallas; 2006 -- Indianapolis; 2007 -- Orlando, Florida; and 2008 --Nashville.

Elected Kent State University President Carol Cartwright to succeed University of Tulsa President Bob Lawless as chair of the Executive Committee, effective after the 2003 NCAA Convention. Cartwright's term as a member of the Executive Committee runs through the 2004 Convention.

Discussed the lack of diversity in the football coaching ranks and endorsed the distribution of a candidate list to college and university presidents that identifies 50 minority coaches who are qualified and interested in obtaining head coaching positions at NCAA member schools.

Heard a report on the Secretary's Commission on Opportunity in Athletics and expressed concern about the imbalance of presentations regarding the present interpretation of the law being made during the town hall sessions. The group also is concerned that some arguments are being advanced that are contradictory to data from the General Accounting Office report. The Committee endorsed an effort to have NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey address the commission at its November 21-22 hearing in San Diego to reinforce the Association's support for Title IX and clarify misinformation and misconceptions that the commission has heard to this point.

Approved a new Leadership Advisory Board that replaces the former NCAA Foundation (see the accompanying box for the list of representatives).