The Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee took an early pass at a proposal in the 2004-05 legislative cycle that would allow five seasons of eligibility, and the preliminary returns do not indicate much support.

The proposal, included in a package developed by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), was among discussion items at the SAAC's summer meeting July 15-18 in Baltimore.

SAAC members discussed the proposal's financial impact on institutions, its potential impact on graduation rates and whether it would limit student-athlete access to academic experiences such as study-abroad programs or extensive labs. Student-athletes also argued that the proposal should be offered for all sports, not just basketball or football. They also questioned how such an allowance would affect scholarships.

Ian Gray, committee vice-chair and a former track and field and cross country student-athlete at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, said SAAC members agreed that the concept "sends the wrong message to student-athletes, academic institutions and the public that athletics is more important than education."

The proposal is part of a comprehensive reform package from the NABC that the Division I Management Council introduced into the 2004-05 legislative cycle (see story, page 1). The Women's Basketball Coaches Association also submitted proposals to modify recruiting and coaches' access to student-athletes throughout their career.

The SAAC also discussed other legislative issues, including the idea of allowing student-athletes to self-release for transfer. SAAC members saw how such an idea could improve student-athlete well-being, but they also were aware of the potential inequities the rule could create among large and small athletics programs, and they agreed to study the concept further at their January meeting at the Convention in Dallas. Gray suggested that the SAAC may even request that the Management Council sponsor legislation for the 2005-06 legislative cycle.

"When we viewed the concept in a vacuum, we realized potential benefits to student-athlete well-being," he said. "However, we don't live in a vacuum, and when we realized the effects of this rule in light of the universal 'one-time transfer' concept, there are many implications."

Division III adopted a similar proposal at the 2004 Convention, with the support of the Division III SAAC.

In other items, the Division I SAAC talked about the importance of "consistency" in membership. Specifically, the committee identified an issue with conferences replacing their national SAAC members before the end of their term.

Student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility still offer much to the group, said Gray. He also noted that having a mixture of current and former student-athletes provides a beneficial variety of opinions and viewpoints for the group during its discussions.

The committee plans to discuss this further with the Management Council and Board of Directors in January.