MASCOTS

Restriction applied to licensing of Division I-A football bowls

The policy restricting the use of Native American mascots and imagery will apply to the bowl licensing process in Division I-A football the same way it applies for NCAA championships, effective with the 2006-07 season.

NCAA bylaws require that all licensed bowls must "comply with the NCAA's principles for the conduct of intercollegiate athletics," as set forth in the NCAA Constitution, which contains basic principles for the value of cultural diversity and forms the basis for the mascot policy.

The NCAA licenses bowl games, including those of the Bowl Championship Series, annually, although it does not administer the games or select participants.

The mascot guidelines approved in August by the NCAA Executive Committee also are being applied at other levels of football play in which the NCAA sponsors championships -- Divisions I-AA, II and III -- and in all other championships beginning in 2006.

The policy restricting the use of Native American mascots and imagery at all championships goes into effect February 1, 2006, at the conclusion of the window for the review process established by the Executive Committee.

Three institutions -- Central Michigan University, Florida State University and the University of Utah -- recently were removed from the list of colleges and universities subject to the restriction, as a result of the review process.

 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

NCAA shares award for film promoting game's attributes

The Association and the Creative Street Media Group jointly have received an award for a film promoting the attributes of NCAA women's basketball.

The film -- titled "All Day, Every Day. Our Game" -- received a Gold Award in the annual Aurora Awards competition, an international program to recognize excellence in the film and video industry by honoring outstanding commercials, cable programming, documentaries, and instructional and corporate videos.

It was produced as part of a marketing campaign to help create a distinct brand for the game of women's basketball. The campaign included various materials for use in promoting the game through its attributes.

The film features interviews with leading women's coaches, student-athletes and fans in all three divisions, along with game footage capturing the skill, character and strength of the women's game.

The film also ties the game to attributes that the NCAA promotes through its branding initiative: Learning, balance, spirit, community, fair play and character.

"We wanted to capture both the excitement of play in the women's game and the quality of our student-athletes and coaches, which the video does beautifully," said Sue Donohoe, NCAA vice-president for Division I women's basketball. "Women's college basketball is gaining in popularity all across the country and this tool will allow schools to capitalize on that momentum by recruiting even more fans and supporters. We are thrilled with the presenation and, most important, so are our member institutions."

The Creative Street Media Group is a nationally known commnications company serving clients through various divisions in electronic, print and interactive media.

 

DIVISION I

AEC Cabinet opposes broader one-time transfer exception

The Division I Academics/Eligibility/ Compliance Cabinet voted during its September 7-9 meeting in Baltimore to oppose permitting student-athletes in football, basketball and men's ice hockey to use the one-time transfer exception.

The cabinet, relying on an academically based framework developed by its continuing-education subcommittee, based its opposition on the premise that doing so would be detrimental to the academic progress of student-athletes. Traditionally, members noted, student-athletes in men's basketball and Division I-A football do not perform as well academically as other student-athletes, as measured by graduation rates.

The cabinet also considered comments from the Division I Football Issues Committee and Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Issues Committees, as well as a Division I Management Council ad hoc group formed in 2003 in response to a Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee request to consider extending the exception to all sports.

 

 

 

Calendar

September 27-28	Division III Nominating Committee	Indianapolis
September 27-30	Division I Committee on Athletics Certification	Indianapolis
September 29-30	Foreign Studetn Records Committee	Indianapolis
September 30-October 1	Division III Regional Leadership Conference (Region 1 - South/West)	Dallas
October 6-7	Honors Committee	Indianapolis
October 8-11	NACWAA Fall Forum	Kansas City, Missouri