NATIONAL HARBOR, Maryland – The Division I Legislative Council wants to hear more feedback from the membership, including conference commissioners, on the appropriate period that a student-athlete should have to declare for the NBA draft.

The group will make a decision on Proposal 2008-79 in April.

The measure would decrease the amount of time a student-athlete can take to decide whether to return to college and still maintain eligibility after declaring for the draft. The current rule permits a student-athlete to remain eligible by declaring his intention to return to college within 30 days after the NBA draft. The proposal would change that deadline to the day before the spring National Letter of Intent signing period begins – and well before the draft, which occurs in the summer.

The proposal potentially would reduce the academic impact on student-athletes while still allowing a period to “test the waters.” The change would also help coaches with planning and recruiting for the next season.

The final vote on the proposal will occur in April.

With an understanding that the Board of Directors is not likely to approve legislation related to baseball, the Council defeated a measure that would increase the number of financial aid equivalencies allowed in the sport but will seek further membership comment on a series of proposals that would alter the season.

Those who advocated for the proposals, which changed the season by either eliminating games (Proposal 2008-48) or increasing the number of weeks in the season (Proposal 2008-46), pointed to the compressed schedule and the need to reduce missed class time for baseball student-athletes.

In earlier meetings, Board members wanted to see how changes adopted as part of the Baseball Academic Enhancement Working Group effort affect the sport before making any further adjustments.

In other business, the Council voted to remove archery, badminton, synchronized swimming and team handball from the list of emerging sports for women. The group agreed to seek more input on the addition of sand volleyball to the list, with some members citing a need for more information about how the sport will be implemented.

The Council also:

• Adopted Proposal 2008-60-A, which prevents reclassifying institutions with a team subject to Academic Performance Program penalties from advancing to active membership.

• Sent for comment Proposal 2008-75 as amended, which requires the submission of final high school transcripts for early qualifiers by February 1 for fall enrollees and the following February 1 for all midyear enrollees.

• Sent for comment Proposal 2008-77 as amended, which requires the submission of high school transcripts and test scores for all 2-4 and 4-2-4 transfers before the end of the first regular term of full-time enrollment.