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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Presidents support early certification procedures
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By Gary T. Brown
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
The Division II Presidents Council is enthusiastically supporting a process by which prospective student-athletes who meet high academic standards could be certified early for initial eligibility.
The presidents at their April 26 meeting in Indianapolis agreed to ask the Division II Academic Requirements Committee to develop legislation for the 2008 NCAA Convention that will legislate early certification initial-eligibility criteria based on a prospect’s six-semester core courses, grades and test score. If approved at the Convention, the legislation would be effective for the entering class of 2008 and beyond.
In the meantime, the Presidents Council also endorsed a waiver process for the entering class of 2007 that would certify prospects early as long as they have achieved either an SAT of 1,100 (95 ACT) or a 1,000 SAT (85 ACT) and a grade-point average of at least 3.0 in 12 core courses.
The waiver for 2007 should help inform decisions the Division II ARC might make for the 2008 legislative proposal and allow certification administrators to devote more immediate attention and resources to the prospects who need it most.
The Division II Management Council endorsed the process at its April 16-17 meeting. The Division I governance structure also approved the early certification procedures and will consider legislation in April 2008.
Officials believe the early certification will move about 40 percent of Divisions I and II prospects more efficiently through the initial-eligibility process without compromising integrity to academic standards. The certification model in fact aligns more appropriately with timing procedures used by colleges and universities to admit the general student body.
The Council was assured that the review of prospect records for academic irregularities would continue to be conducted and still could result in a prospect who meets the new criteria not being granted the waiver. In other words, the early certification doesn’t give a prospect an automatic pass if irregularities (such as possible academic fraud) warrant further review.
The Division II Presidents Council also agreed to sponsor a proposal for the 2008 Convention that would increase the number of core courses required for initial eligibility from 14 to 16. If approved by the membership at the Convention, the legislation would become effective in August 2013 (to allow next year’s eighth-grade class to plan their entire high school curriculum based on the new standard).
The Council approved the recommendation from the Division II Academic Requirements Committee after reviewing research indicating that most high school graduates already are completing at least 16 core courses. The average number of core courses taken by Division II prospects in fact has risen from 15.85 in 1994 to 17.86 in 2005.
The proposal requires one of the additional two courses to be taken in either English, math, or natural or physical science. The other additional course may be from any core area.
As was the case with the Management Council, the presidents talked through the issue thoroughly before voting. But while some Management Council members were hesitant to endorse the idea, few presidents resisted the move to increase. Some in fact wanted to consider an earlier implementation date but were dissuaded by the fact that not all high schools have the core curriculum to accommodate the change on short notice.
The presidents also were eager to raise the NCAA eligibility floor to possibly reduce the number of “special admissions” for prospects who meet NCAA eligibility standards but not institutional core-course requirements. They also reacted to data showing that the recent change from 14 to 16 in Division I led to better academic performance in college and increased predictability in graduation.
“The group had an enthusiastic discussion on the matter, and I was struck by the presidents’ thorough consideration of the impact the proposal would have on the secondary school constituency and on current Division II members,” said President Council Chair Charles Ambrose of Pfeiffer University. “The fact that the effective date would provide ample notice, however — and the understanding that the new standard would not exceed regional accrediting requirements or current practices at most Division II institutions — contributed to the Council’s enthusiastic support.”
In other items, the presidents received an update on a financial study they commissioned in conjunction with the strategic-positioning platform to address the benefits of Division II athletics programs. The study is designed to determine the financial value of the Division II model of partial athletics scholarships, and to identify the non-financial implications of Division II athletics in areas such as cultural diversity, gender balance, campus culture and student life.
Full results of the study should be available in time for the Division II chancellors and presidents summit slated for June 22-23 in San Diego.
April 26/Indianapolis
Mars Hill AD appointed to Council post
The Division II Presidents Council ratified the appointment of Mars Hill College Athletics Director David Riggins as vice chair of the Division II Management Council, effective September 1. Riggins, who has been a member of the Council since 2006, will serve a two-year term as vice chair. His term on the Council extends through the 2010 Convention.
Riggins is in his 21st year at Mars Hill. He assumed the athletics director’s duties in September 1998 after serving as the assistant athletics director since 1993.
He also is a former head men’s basketball coach, having guided Mars Hill teams to three postseason appearances, including the 1994 South Atlantic Conference title.
His NCAA committee service includes the Division II Legislation Committee, the Division II Identity Subcommittee and the Division II Budget and Finance Committee. Riggins also served on the Championships Committee before his appointment to the Management Council.
Riggins played basketball at Francis Marion University before receiving both his bachelor’s (1974) and master’s degrees (1980) from the University of South Carolina, Columbia.
The presidents at their April 26 meeting in Indianapolis agreed to ask the Division II Academic Requirements Committee to develop legislation for the 2008 NCAA Convention that will legislate early certification initial-eligibility criteria based on a prospect’s six-semester core courses, grades and test score. If approved at the Convention, the legislation would be effective for the entering class of 2008 and beyond.
In the meantime, the Presidents Council also endorsed a waiver process for the entering class of 2007 that would certify prospects early as long as they have achieved either an SAT of 1,100 (95 ACT) or a 1,000 SAT (85 ACT) and a grade-point average of at least 3.0 in 12 core courses.
The waiver for 2007 should help inform decisions the Division II ARC might make for the 2008 legislative proposal and allow certification administrators to devote more immediate attention and resources to the prospects who need it most.
The Division II Management Council endorsed the process at its April 16-17 meeting. The Division I governance structure also approved the early certification procedures and will consider legislation in April 2008.
Officials believe the early certification will move about 40 percent of Divisions I and II prospects more efficiently through the initial-eligibility process without compromising integrity to academic standards. The certification model in fact aligns more appropriately with timing procedures used by colleges and universities to admit the general student body.
The Council was assured that the review of prospect records for academic irregularities would continue to be conducted and still could result in a prospect who meets the new criteria not being granted the waiver. In other words, the early certification doesn’t give a prospect an automatic pass if irregularities (such as possible academic fraud) warrant further review.
The Division II Presidents Council also agreed to sponsor a proposal for the 2008 Convention that would increase the number of core courses required for initial eligibility from 14 to 16. If approved by the membership at the Convention, the legislation would become effective in August 2013 (to allow next year’s eighth-grade class to plan their entire high school curriculum based on the new standard).
The Council approved the recommendation from the Division II Academic Requirements Committee after reviewing research indicating that most high school graduates already are completing at least 16 core courses. The average number of core courses taken by Division II prospects in fact has risen from 15.85 in 1994 to 17.86 in 2005.
The proposal requires one of the additional two courses to be taken in either English, math, or natural or physical science. The other additional course may be from any core area.
As was the case with the Management Council, the presidents talked through the issue thoroughly before voting. But while some Management Council members were hesitant to endorse the idea, few presidents resisted the move to increase. Some in fact wanted to consider an earlier implementation date but were dissuaded by the fact that not all high schools have the core curriculum to accommodate the change on short notice.
The presidents also were eager to raise the NCAA eligibility floor to possibly reduce the number of “special admissions” for prospects who meet NCAA eligibility standards but not institutional core-course requirements. They also reacted to data showing that the recent change from 14 to 16 in Division I led to better academic performance in college and increased predictability in graduation.
“The group had an enthusiastic discussion on the matter, and I was struck by the presidents’ thorough consideration of the impact the proposal would have on the secondary school constituency and on current Division II members,” said President Council Chair Charles Ambrose of Pfeiffer University. “The fact that the effective date would provide ample notice, however — and the understanding that the new standard would not exceed regional accrediting requirements or current practices at most Division II institutions — contributed to the Council’s enthusiastic support.”
In other items, the presidents received an update on a financial study they commissioned in conjunction with the strategic-positioning platform to address the benefits of Division II athletics programs. The study is designed to determine the financial value of the Division II model of partial athletics scholarships, and to identify the non-financial implications of Division II athletics in areas such as cultural diversity, gender balance, campus culture and student life.
Full results of the study should be available in time for the Division II chancellors and presidents summit slated for June 22-23 in San Diego.
Other highlights
Division II Presidents Council
April 26/Indianapolis
- Asked staff to draft legislation on skill instruction based on the three-part approach the Management Council moved earlier in April. The proposal would (1) prohibit all countable athletically related activities outside the playing season one week before and through the completion of final exams; (2) in sports other than football, the proposal specifies the number of participants in skill instruction sessions at any one time as the number of starters in each sport; and (3) more than one group may participate in skill instruction at different facilities or at the same facility, as long as the groups remain separate. The original recommendation from the Division II Legislation Committee (which was based on input from many Division II stakeholders) combined the three components, but the Management Council preferred separating them for now. The Presidents Council wanted to discuss the issue with their constituents before reviewing the matter again in June.
- Agreed to sponsor a legislative package for the 2008 Convention that includes a proposal to facilitate membership from selected Canadian institutions and a proposal to eliminate text and instant messaging in recruiting.
- Voted to refer a proposal that would require institutions to conduct a CHAMPS/Life Skills program (or its equivalent) to the Management Council for further review. The presidents want to know more about the financial impact the legislation would have on institutions.
- Voted to reappoint Virginia State University President Eddie Moore Jr. as vice chair of the Presidents Council through the 2008 Convention.
Mars Hill AD appointed to Council post
The Division II Presidents Council ratified the appointment of Mars Hill College Athletics Director David Riggins as vice chair of the Division II Management Council, effective September 1. Riggins, who has been a member of the Council since 2006, will serve a two-year term as vice chair. His term on the Council extends through the 2010 Convention.
Riggins is in his 21st year at Mars Hill. He assumed the athletics director’s duties in September 1998 after serving as the assistant athletics director since 1993.
He also is a former head men’s basketball coach, having guided Mars Hill teams to three postseason appearances, including the 1994 South Atlantic Conference title.
His NCAA committee service includes the Division II Legislation Committee, the Division II Identity Subcommittee and the Division II Budget and Finance Committee. Riggins also served on the Championships Committee before his appointment to the Management Council.
Riggins played basketball at Francis Marion University before receiving both his bachelor’s (1974) and master’s degrees (1980) from the University of South Carolina, Columbia.
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