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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Division I sets expectations for practice-player use
Championships/Competition Cabinet intends to protect women’s opportunities
Championships/Competition Cabinet intends to protect women’s opportunities
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By Greg Johnson
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
SAVANNAH, Georgia — The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet has taken a non-legislative approach to the use of male practice players by women’s teams rather than advocate for legislative regulations.
The cabinet at its June 26-27 meeting developed a 14-point statement of expectations for institutions that use males in practices. Those expectations include compliance with applicable NCAA, conference and institutional rules regarding the use of male practice players and an assurance that their use does not compromise competitive opportunities for women.
After examining the use of male practice players over the past year through surveys conducted by the NCAA research staff, cabinet members believe the review has been healthy for Division I.
“The overall process was effective and engaged the membership in a meaningful way,” said cabinet Chair and Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich. “The survey and the ongoing conversation proved informative and heightened awareness about this issue.”
The discussion of male practice players emerged in October 2004 when the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, in accordance with its mission of protecting and enhancing female student-athlete participation opportunities, began questioning whether using male practice players reduced opportunities for women athletes. The committee urged a three-pronged review to determine whether the practice was widespread, whether the membership was adequately educated about male practice player eligibility requirements and whether legislative modifications were necessary.
The Division I Management Council referred the matter to the cabinet for further study. The cabinet appointed a subcommittee chaired by Pacific-10 Conference Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator Christine Hoyles to conduct the review.
The resulting statement of expectations is designed to communicate a better understanding and increased awareness of the best ways male practice players can be used to ensure that participation opportunities for female student-athletes are not diminished.
The expectations are for those institutions that use male practice players in women’s sports to:
Other recommendations are to encourage coaches associations to work with the membership to periodically oversee the practice of institutions using male practice players and focus on establishing positive participation opportunities for women.
Institutions also will be encouraged to periodically review the use of male practice players to assess trends and to ensure that women’s participation opportunities are not being negatively affected. Femovich said that assessment could be accomplished through institutional review via student-athlete exit interviews and feedback from SAAC representatives. Also, ongoing NCAA research can help track changes in the number of student-athletes on squads, the number of grant-in-aid student-athletes and the number of male practice players used in different sports.
The cabinet also recommends that a membership survey regarding the general use of male practice players be conducted every four years. A more comprehensive examination could result if concerns warrant.
Football championship appeal
In other action, the cabinet upheld a decision by the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Committee to continue its policy of awarding eight automatic qualifiers into the 2007 championship. The FCS committee declined a request from the Northeast Conference to be among the eight leagues that receive automatic qualification, basing its decision in part on a lack of competitive strength among the NEC’s nonconference opponents.
Northeast Conference Commissioner Brenda Weare appealed to the cabinet, but members representing the Football Championship Subdivision denied the appeal. The full cabinet also voted on whether a one-time exception should be granted for the 2007 Division I Football Championship that would permit nine automatic qualifiers to be among the 16 teams selected. That also was defeated.
Since the Football Championship bracket contains 16 teams and the sport is sponsored by between 10 and 59 percent of the membership, at least 50 percent of the field must be reserved for at-large selections. The appropriate sports committee has the discretion to determine which conferences receive automatic qualification into a championship.
However, the cabinet did ask the Football Championship Committee to provide a plan for access into the championship for all eligible and interested conferences by the 2008 championship. Any proposals with a budgetary impact (such as bracket expansion or a play-in game) must be submitted to the cabinet by its September meeting when it begins to consider initiatives for the 2008-10 budget cycle.
Drug-testing proposal
The cabinet did not support a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports that would have included testing for “street drugs” in all divisions on a year-round basis.
Cabinet members expressed concern for the health and well-being of all student-athletes, but they believe testing already is being conducted and that the issue is better handled at the local rather than national level.
“When it comes to street drugs or social drugs, many of our campuses and conferences have programs in place for both testing and education,” Femovich said. “The cabinet felt it was best left to institutions to administer programs for street drugs during the year.”
Testing for these substances, as well as performance-enhancing drugs, is done at championship sites during the academic year.
The estimated cost of conducting year-round drug testing for street drugs was $825,000.
June 26-27/Savannah, Georgia
The cabinet at its June 26-27 meeting developed a 14-point statement of expectations for institutions that use males in practices. Those expectations include compliance with applicable NCAA, conference and institutional rules regarding the use of male practice players and an assurance that their use does not compromise competitive opportunities for women.
After examining the use of male practice players over the past year through surveys conducted by the NCAA research staff, cabinet members believe the review has been healthy for Division I.
“The overall process was effective and engaged the membership in a meaningful way,” said cabinet Chair and Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich. “The survey and the ongoing conversation proved informative and heightened awareness about this issue.”
The discussion of male practice players emerged in October 2004 when the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, in accordance with its mission of protecting and enhancing female student-athlete participation opportunities, began questioning whether using male practice players reduced opportunities for women athletes. The committee urged a three-pronged review to determine whether the practice was widespread, whether the membership was adequately educated about male practice player eligibility requirements and whether legislative modifications were necessary.
The Division I Management Council referred the matter to the cabinet for further study. The cabinet appointed a subcommittee chaired by Pacific-10 Conference Associate Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator Christine Hoyles to conduct the review.
The resulting statement of expectations is designed to communicate a better understanding and increased awareness of the best ways male practice players can be used to ensure that participation opportunities for female student-athletes are not diminished.
The expectations are for those institutions that use male practice players in women’s sports to:
- Comply with all applicable NCAA, conference and institutional rules regarding the use of male practice players;
- Ensure positive and quality participation experiences for all female student-athletes;
- Provide opportunities for growth and development as individual student-athletes and as teams;
- Include experiences for skill development in all segments of the academic year, regardless of starting position or role on the teams;
- Furnish occasions to showcase skills acquisition and use in competitive settings;
- Provide opportunities to earn additional playing time through continuing skills acquisition;
- Create a safe environment in which to practice and compete;
- Maintain roster sizes appropriate for practice and competition with a full team of female student-athletes;
- Maintain exposure to talented, committed female coaches and support staff members such as athletic trainers, managers and equipment staff;
- Serve as pre-professional learning environments for women who aspire to careers in coaching;
- Have the use of male practice players result in long-term changes judged to be in the best interests of the sport;
- Have their use reflect the mission and values of the athletics department and the institution as a whole relative to equality and opportunity;
- Have their use foster an equitable environment among sports programs and student-athletes; and
- Send a positive message regarding the value of athletics participation and the caliber of skill and competition in women’s athletics.
Other recommendations are to encourage coaches associations to work with the membership to periodically oversee the practice of institutions using male practice players and focus on establishing positive participation opportunities for women.
Institutions also will be encouraged to periodically review the use of male practice players to assess trends and to ensure that women’s participation opportunities are not being negatively affected. Femovich said that assessment could be accomplished through institutional review via student-athlete exit interviews and feedback from SAAC representatives. Also, ongoing NCAA research can help track changes in the number of student-athletes on squads, the number of grant-in-aid student-athletes and the number of male practice players used in different sports.
The cabinet also recommends that a membership survey regarding the general use of male practice players be conducted every four years. A more comprehensive examination could result if concerns warrant.
Football championship appeal
In other action, the cabinet upheld a decision by the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Committee to continue its policy of awarding eight automatic qualifiers into the 2007 championship. The FCS committee declined a request from the Northeast Conference to be among the eight leagues that receive automatic qualification, basing its decision in part on a lack of competitive strength among the NEC’s nonconference opponents.
Northeast Conference Commissioner Brenda Weare appealed to the cabinet, but members representing the Football Championship Subdivision denied the appeal. The full cabinet also voted on whether a one-time exception should be granted for the 2007 Division I Football Championship that would permit nine automatic qualifiers to be among the 16 teams selected. That also was defeated.
Since the Football Championship bracket contains 16 teams and the sport is sponsored by between 10 and 59 percent of the membership, at least 50 percent of the field must be reserved for at-large selections. The appropriate sports committee has the discretion to determine which conferences receive automatic qualification into a championship.
However, the cabinet did ask the Football Championship Committee to provide a plan for access into the championship for all eligible and interested conferences by the 2008 championship. Any proposals with a budgetary impact (such as bracket expansion or a play-in game) must be submitted to the cabinet by its September meeting when it begins to consider initiatives for the 2008-10 budget cycle.
Drug-testing proposal
The cabinet did not support a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports that would have included testing for “street drugs” in all divisions on a year-round basis.
Cabinet members expressed concern for the health and well-being of all student-athletes, but they believe testing already is being conducted and that the issue is better handled at the local rather than national level.
“When it comes to street drugs or social drugs, many of our campuses and conferences have programs in place for both testing and education,” Femovich said. “The cabinet felt it was best left to institutions to administer programs for street drugs during the year.”
Testing for these substances, as well as performance-enhancing drugs, is done at championship sites during the academic year.
The estimated cost of conducting year-round drug testing for street drugs was $825,000.
Other highlights
Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet
June 26-27/Savannah, Georgia
- Directed the Division I Wrestling Committee to adopt and implement by 2009 a selection system in which each eligible conference receives automatic qualification for the champion in each of the 10 weight classes. The committee would select the remaining 220 allocations at large with help from a ranking program developed by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The wrestling committee already has decided to lessen the historical data portion of its selection process from five years to three years for the 2008 championships.
- Referred a recommendation to realign the four regions in outdoor track and field to the Division I Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee. The cabinet’s bracket/format subcommittee raised concerns about financial implications for multiple institutions. The cabinet is asking for the track and field committee to respond to the subcommittee’s questions by February 2008.
- The misconduct appeals subcommittee reviewed the proposed misconduct legislation submitted on behalf of the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Committees and its relationship to penalties and sanctions across all sports. The proposal, which continues to be under review, would extend the misconduct window from the day of selection until the end of the championship. The subcommittee is reviewing the history of misconduct penalties and analyzing whether policies are consistent among sports committees.
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