Mar 25, 2010 8:59:14 AM

The Division I Leadership Council wants more information before making formal recommendations on cost-savings initiatives, and members directed the staff to collect data and possibly engage consultants to help guide the conversation.

At the Council's meeting Tuesday in Indianapolis, members reviewed work done by various NCAA cabinets to identify areas within NCAA bylaws that could be changed to reduce costs. The Council classified many of those suggestions as "low-hanging fruit" that was worth exploring but members also believed that the topic needed a more expansive approach to make real headway toward reducing expenses.

Members agreed that any initiatives should be broad enough to help schools at both ends of the resource spectrum. Some institutions have realized more of an impact from the economic downturn than others, just as some are more highly subsidized by institutional dollars. That disparity in both resource level and pain from the economic climate must be considered as part of the cost-savings review, the group concluded.

The Council also agreed that the review should look at saving money in two ways – changing rules to save money on campuses (championships, travel, season modifications) and considering cost-savings initiatives from a national office perspective (staffing, programs).

Council members asked for data by their next meeting in October, including how much money specific actions could actually save a campus or the Association. The group also will consider both the political and legal ramifications of any recommendation and noted that leadership from presidents and chancellors will be vital.

Some of the suggestions from the cabinets, such as limits on non-coaching personnel and elimination of printed media guides, are