[Following is the first in a series that reviews Division I proposals for the 2008-09 legislative cycle. Today’s article focuses on proposals related to Bylaw 15 (financial aid) and Bylaw 16 (awards and benefits).]

When Division I’s new Legislative Council takes its first votes on legislation at the 2009 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C., two of the proposals it will consider are measures expanding financial aid limits in baseball and women’s volleyball.

The baseball proposal from the Southeastern Conference (No. 2008-41) would increase the number of equivalencies from 11.7 to 14. That would appease a number of coaches and others who have long thought the allowances in baseball are too low and thus contribute to the sport’s high transfer rate. That feeling was exacerbated in 2007 when the Board of Directors adopted a baseball academic enhancement group’s proposal to require individual financial aid packages for baseball student-athletes to include at least 25 percent of an equivalency.

Supporters of the proposed increase believe it will allow institutions the flexibility to provide student-athletes with more athletics aid and therefore reduce the number of transfers.

The Pacific-10 Conference has proposed the expansion of aid in women’s volleyball (No. 2008-40). The measure to raise scholarship limits from 12 to 13 is identical to one the Division I Board of Directors adopted in 2005 but was subsequently overturned by the Division I membership at the 2006 Convention.

The original proposal came from a review of financial aid limits in women’s sports conducted by a group whose members were drawn from the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, the Management Council and the Committee on Women’s Athletics.  

Advocates say that data support the increase in grant-in-aid limitations from 12 to 13 because of the addition of the libero position and increased specialization in the sport. Squad sizes have also increased.

The proposal’s adoption was overridden by the Division I membership in January 2006, along with measures that would have increased the scholarship limits in women’s gymnastics and women’s track and field. Those opposing the increases said that more financial aid in specific women’s sports would benefit too small of a group to make any real impact on athletics opportunities for women.

Both the baseball and volleyball proposals are among the many legislative items to be initially considered by the Legislative Council at the Convention. If a proposal does not receive the requisite two-thirds majority of Legislative Council votes, it will be distributed to the membership for further review. Proposals that do meet the two-thirds standard will be considered adopted, subject to a Board review, also at Convention.

In addition to the financial aid proposals, the Legislative Council will also consider the following proposals in the awards, benefits and expenses category at the 2009 Convention:

• No. 2008-42 – Would allow student-athletes participating in a postseason event six complimentary tickets to the event.

• No. 2008-44 – Travel after championship events (NCAA, national governing body, emerging sport or licensed postseason football bowl games) during an official vacation period or between terms is exempt from the requirement that student-athletes remain no longer than 36 hours after the event to receive actual and necessary expenses.

All Division I proposals can be viewed by using the Legislative Services Database.