Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members took on several issues of trust at their April 11-13 meeting in Indianapolis.

The so-called "trust gap" between student-athletes and coaches and administrators has been at the core of several issues over the years, including voluntary workouts, enforcement of the "20-hour rule" and red-shirting. SAAC members continued discussions in those areas at their meeting, which was held just before the Division I Management Council meeting April 14-15.

The issue of enforcing the 20-hour rule regarding the limits on athletically related activities has been a difficult issue for student-athletes. Anecdotal evidence suggests the rule tends to be misunderstood, poorly communicated and often abused, but solutions have been difficult for student-athletes and administrators alike to ascertain.

Some help in that regard may be in the offing with the Council's establishment of an ad hoc committee to look at the matter further. A Championships/Competition Cabinet subcommittee has been studying the issue already as part of a larger review of student-athlete time demands, but the ad hoc group will focus specifically on the 20-hour rule. That group will be composed of members of the Championships/
Competition Cabinet's playing and practice seasons subcommittee, along with student-athletes and coaches. The group's charge is to discuss issues related to the education and enforcement of the 20-hour rule.

The Division I SAAC has asked that at least one of the two student-athletes who are going to serve on that group come from SAAC.

SAAC members also discussed red-shirting issues during a review of current medical-hardship waiver legislation. Discussion included issues relating to the loss of a season of eligibility when it is unclear whether an injury is truly season-ending. SAAC members believe there is a trust gap between coaches and student-athletes where injuries are concerned, especially when a coach pushes a student-athlete to return to play when a student-athlete may not feel he or she is ready to return.

Student-athletes do not feel they currently have the power to make red-shirting decisions themselves, since they often do not govern their own playing time. The committee agreed that student-athletes are not adequately informed of the legislation, and members recommended that the NCAA staff identify mechanisms to educate student-athletes more on this issue.

In another trust-related matter, the committee discussed its relationship with the Collegiate Athletes Coalition, a group that has not trusted the SAAC process. SAAC Chair Dylan Malagrino of Syracuse University, former chair Michael Aguirre of Arizona State University and SAAC member Liz McCaslin from the University of Kentucky updated the committee on their participation in a California State Senate Hearing April 9, which included representatives from the CAC.

The hearing addressed issues such as the effectiveness of the SAAC, student-athlete representation in the governance structure, agent issues, financial aid issues, and student-athlete insurance and benefits.

The relationship between the SAAC and the CAC became strained 18 months ago when the CAC publicly criticized the SAAC process, but SAAC members instructed Malagrino to contact the chair of the CAC to try and open the lines of communication and to encourage the CAC to forward its concerns and issues to the SAAC.

The SAAC also continued dialogue with high-profile student-athletes in football and basketball who are not members of the SAAC structure. Those student-athletes include Michael Boulware, football student-athlete from Florida State University; Chris Hill, basketball student-athlete from Michigan State University; and Chris Thomas, basketball student-athlete from the University of Notre Dame.

The point of the discussion is to ensure that the SAAC is representing all student-athletes, including those who have a high potential of playing professionally and participate in the high-profile sports.

SAAC member Katie Groke from the University of Wyoming updated the committee on the first conference call with the group, which included a discussion of financial aid proposals, time demand issues, student-athlete insurance matters, pay-for-play issues and the SAAC's strategic plan. SAAC members were encouraged by the support they received from the advisory group and look forward to seeking their input on future issues. The committee plans to have another call with the group before the SAAC's July meeting. In addition, the SAAC has taken steps to ensure that student-athletes from high-profile women's basketball programs be included in the group.

In other action at the Indianapolis meeting, the SAAC discussed possible formats for the recently approved regional leadership conferences in Division I. SAAC members agreed that two student-athletes and one coach/athletics administrator should be sent from each school and that the SAAC should play a significant role in the conferences. The committee encouraged a greater awareness of division-specific issues to be imparted through program activities, including components relating to professional development, confidence in leadership skills, motivation skills, character building, and strengthening the effectiveness and communication of SAAC at local and national levels.

The committee also emphasized that there should be "trust gap" discussions during the three- day event. The SAAC will continue to discuss the regional leadership conferences during the next few months via the list serve and at the July meeting. The first regional leadership conference is scheduled for the fall of 2004.

Other highlights

Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
April 11-13/Indianapolis

Discussed the ongoing academic reform package, including the incentives/disincentives component currently being developed. The committee also discussed the development of the Annual Academic Performance Rate designed to measure the academic success of each team (rather than rely on the current federal graduation-rate methodology for that purpose). The committee is concerned that due to difficult financial times, many institutions would not be in a position to exercise some of the incentives of the package that have been suggested (for example, providing additional scholarships or more official visits in recruiting).

Discussed the transfer residence requirement -- specifically, the one-time transfer exception -- and the impact the legislation has on men's ice hockey, men's and women's basketball and football. The committee requested data on the effect of transfers in the sports that do allow the one-time transfer exception for review at its July meeting. The committee also agreed to discuss the issue further with conference and campus SAACs and will recommend legislation (if necessary) in July.

Reviewed the non-sport-specific nature of amateurism commercial endorsement legislation, which may prevent a student-athlete from retaining endorsements from sports other than those in which a student-athlete is participating. The committee noted the difficulty in monitoring abuses in this area, but members are concerned that the legislation is imposing an undue hardship on student-athletes. The group agreed to discuss the issue with conference SAACs and will recommend legislation (if necessary) in July.

Reviewed the SAAC selection process and discussed the possibility of the committee selecting its own members and the criteria that would be under such conditions. The committee discussed the possibility of conference SAACs nominating three individuals to serve on the national SAAC, with the national SAAC being responsible for reviewing all nominations and making the final selections. The group understands the diversity concerns and will seek feedback on this issue with their conference offices before discussing it further in July.