The Division I Football Issues Committee is recommending two revisions to the football out-of-season conditioning model (Proposal No. 02-84), both of which provide more flexibility for preparation and practice without compromising the health and safety foundation upon which the model is built.

The committee, which met February 17-18 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is recommending that preseason practice begin for both first-time and continuing football student-athletes three days earlier than originally proposed. However, institutions still would be allowed a maximum of 29 practices in the preseason practice period.

The recommendation, which came from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), addresses institutions that would not have the opportunity under the original proposal to conduct 29 practice sessions. Proponents also say it provides institutions with the flexibility of starting practice at the same time that first-time participants are permitted to report for their three-day orientation period under current legislation, and it allows all institutions to conduct the same number of practices.

Another suggested amendment to the model, also from the AFCA, would exclude "walk-throughs" conducted after the five-day acclimatization period from the daily and hourly practice limitations.

"The recommended changes provide more time for coaches to prepare student-athletes for the rigors of regular-season play without jeopardizing the health and safety components of the model, which we have emphasized all along as being the primary reason for the proposal," said committee Chair DeLoss Dodds, athletics director at the University of Texas at Austin.

If the revisions are endorsed by the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet, the Division I Management Council will review the recommended amendments in April. If the Council supports the revisions and believes they do not substantively modify the original proposal, the group may be inclined to approve the revisions as emergency legislation in order to allow institutions to begin following the model this summer. The original proposal has received initial Council approval and will be reviewed for the second time in April along with the suggested revisions.

The new model provides specific guidelines for the three primary components of the off-season: the eight-week period after January 1, summer conditioning and preseason practice. The preseason component includes a five-day acclimatization period in which student-athletes would engage in no more than one practice per day.

Other highlights

Division I Football Issues Committee
February 17-18/Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Heard an anti-gambling presentation from an individual who described his involvement in organized-crime activities before turning his life around, and George Randolph, a former FBI agent. The committee heard the presentation in conjunction with a charge from the Football Study Oversight Committee to review gambling-related issues in football. The Football Issues Committee will continue to discuss gambling issues as part of its long-range strategic plan and may recommend similar presentations to other governance groups in the future.

Reviewed a proposal from the Southeastern Conference about the availability of financial aid during the summer term for incoming freshmen in all sports. The Football Issues Committee supported the measure for football only, noting that summer aid currently is being offered as part of a five-year pilot study in men's basketball. The committee recommended that a similar pilot be conducted in football as a way to improve graduation rates in the sport.

Reaffirmed support for a fifth year of eligibility in football, but agreed to monitor progress made on academic reform issues (including the incentives/disincentives package, which may impact eligibility issues) before taking further action.

Created a subcommittee to work on diversity issues identified in the Football Study Oversight Committee's final report. The subcommittee will seek a partnership with the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee in this regard.

Agreed to request that a survey of institutional presidents, athletics directors and coaches, and conference commissioners be conducted in 2005-06 to solicit feedback on the health of college football.