The Division I Football Issues Committee met with Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian about maintaining a good working relationship between the NCAA and the NFL.

Committee members, who convened July 27-28 in Indianapolis, discussed several issues with Polian, including the information student-athletes can gather when making the important decision on whether to enter the NFL draft before their eligibility is exhausted.

The NFL has established a "College Advisory Board" to help underclassmen determined their draft status. The advisory board, which is chaired by Polian, consists of eight to 10 NFL general managers and player personnel directors.

"We were given a review of the whole process and were updated on how effective it has been," said Tim Curley, the Football Issues Committee chair and athletics director at Pennsylvania State University. "The institutions and student-athletes who have used it have found it to be a very effective tool."

Committee members hope student-athletes take advantage of the opportunity, since they believe it is more reliable than exploring draft status via external sources.

The goals are to educate student-athletes and their families about the ramifications of declaring for the draft and programs available to help them make informed decisions.

"This is a great vehicle that has strong credibility," Curley said. "The institutions are aware of the NFL advisory group. Those who have used it have found good success with it. I know at Penn State we’ve used it a number of times."

The committee also discussed ongoing initiatives undertaken in conjunction with the American Football Coaches Association and the NFL. One is a NCAA/NFL coaching internship program. Former NFL players can become coaching interns on the staffs at Division II and III institutions. They can intern in the program through preseason practices to the first game of the regular season. It is an opportunity for those considering a coaching career to get a glimpse of what the profession entails.

Another initiative is the Future Football Coaches Academy, designed for players who are two years or less removed from exhausting their eligibility. Those former student-athletes can attend educational sessions at the AFCA Convention January 7-10 in San Antonio. The goals are to encourage former student-athletes to consider a career in coaching and to make sure they are well-informed if they choose such a path.

About 30 participants are expected to attend.