National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Mar 11, 2010 8:34:01 AM

The NCAA has received the requisite number of requests to override legislation loosening restrictions on prospective student-athletes participating on teams with teammates who receive more than actual and necessary expenses. The receipt of such money characterizes the teams as professional under current NCAA legislation.

The legislation adopted in January also requires most prospects who participate in organized competition to enroll in college within a year of high school graduation or be subject to seasons-of-withholding conditions. Currently, prospects in most sports (other than tennis and swimming and diving and, beginning August 1, women's volleyball) are charged a season of competition for every 12-month period they participate in organized competition after the 21st birthday and before full-time enrollment.

The rule targets what some have called "vicarious" or "collective" professionalism, a circumstance that renders prospects who participate on a team with a professional athlete professional themselves, even if prospects are not paid more than actual and necessary expenses for their services.

Many of the institutions requesting the override object to the delayed-enrollment portion of the legislation, saying it could "unduly punish prospective student-athletes from countries in which the educational system produces high school graduates by the age of 16 and 17." Critics also voiced concern about prospects who delay enrollment to train for the Olympics or other international competition and participate in competition as a part of that training.

The Amateurism Cabinet, which proposed the legislation, believed the two portions should be tied to address competitive-equity concerns to emphasize the importance of academics and to level the playing field by ensuring relatively similar competitive opportunities before college enrollment.

The cabinet removed ice hockey from the proposal before it was adopted, and the Legislative Council removed skiing and delayed the effective date to August 1, 2011, for tennis. After the rule was adopted in January, other sports also voiced concerns, including track and field, soccer, and wrestling. At its meeting in February, the cabinet declined to support any legislation excluding additional sports from the rule.

Also at its February meeting, the cabinet recommended the Legislative Council adopt noncontroversial legislation in April to delay the effective date for the delayed-enrollment portion to August 1, 2011 (August 1, 2012 for tennis) to address prospects who had decided to delay enrollment before the introduction of the legislation last summer. The cabinet will also look at a proposal in June to provide an additional year to the one-year grace period for individuals participating in national team competition.

The Council will consider both the override and the effective date change at its meeting in April.

If the Council agrees to change its position on the original legislation, the proposal will be defeated and will not be sent for further membership comment. If the Council maintains its position, the Division I Board of Directors will have the opportunity to review the measures at its April 29 meeting. If the Board does not address the proposal at that time, the membership will vote on the proposal at the 2011 NCAA Convention in San Antonio.

The Council also could modify the proposal in some way. If the Council takes this approach and adopts the modified proposal, it would be subject to another 60-day override period.

The override request is the second from the Division I membership in a week. The national office received the requisite number of requests on a proposal to regulate camps and clinics last Thursday.

The override period for all legislation adopted in January ends March 17. While only 30 requests are required for the Legislative Council to revisit proposals, at least 100 must be received to suspend legislation.