A five-year report from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports shows positive drug tests for steroids in intercollegiate athletics has dramatically decreased at the same time that the total number of student-athletes tested for steroids has increased.

In year-round testing, 49 student-athletes tested positive for steroids in 2004-05, compared to 90 student-athletes testing positive for steroids in 1998-99 and 92 positive tests in 1999-2000. An all-time low of 46 student-athletes tested positive for steroid use in the 2003-04 year-round testing program, in which 8,980 student-athletes were tested. A total of 10,094 student-athletes were tested for steroids in the 2004-05 year-round program.

In postseason drug testing, only two student-athletes tested positive for steroids in 2004-05. An all-time high of eight tested positive for steroids in 1996-97, while none tested positive for steroids in the postseason in 2003-04. A total of 1,516 student-athletes were tested for steroids in the 2004-05 championship testing program.

The report indicated a slight increase in positive results for stimulants. Fourteen student-athletes tested positive for stimulants in the postseason drug-testing program in 2004-05. However, the study does not indicate how many student-athletes are taking prescribed medication for legitimate medical concerns, which may have an influence on the increase of stimulant positives.

The Association has added 16 schools to the list of institutions from which core courses and graduation will not be accepted for determining prospects’ initial academic eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics this fall.

The announcement brings the total number of high schools that will not be used for evaluating initial eligibility to 25, including some schools identified in June. That original list included 15 schools that failed to respond to inquiries or provided insufficient information, but five of those institutions have since been removed from the list after further review. One other school remains under review as well, leaving nine from the first list as invalid.

Students from the 25 schools who seek to play college sports can still have their academic records reviewed before enrolling in college.

The ongoing review also identified another 22 high schools that have been cleared for use in the NCAA’s initial-eligibility process, but only for prospects from those institutions entering college this fall.

The Division III Membership Committee recommended various actions during its June 22-23 meeting in Indianapolis for managing the growth of Division III while ensuring that schools seeking to join the division are fully prepared for active membership.

The committee’s recommendations include limiting the number of institutions that annually would be granted provisional or reclassifying membership and requiring full compliance with all of the division’s regulations during the first year of provisional or reclassifying status.

The recommendations also include new measures aimed at holding active members accountable for demonstrating their commitment to Division III, ranging from annual reviews of compliance with sports-sponsorship requirements to requirement of periodic attendance by institutional personnel at the annual Convention and regional rules seminars.

The recommendations, which could result in proposed legislation at the 2007 Convention, will be reviewed July 17-18 by the Division III Management Council.