National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Jan 15, 2010 6:48:58 AM

ATLANTA – Division II experienced an energetic start to its Life in the Balance sequel Thursday when presidents, administrators and student-athletes convened to chart a course for the 2011 Convention.

Though votes on Phase I of the project (shortened seasons and reduced contests in 10 sports) will not be cast until Saturday's business session, a special session for the Division II Management and Presidents Councils and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee already began focusing on the Phase II review of nonchampionship segments and exempted contests in applicable sports – plus a look at hourly limits on athletically related activities in and out of season – as a continued quest for a balanced student-athlete experience.

While recommendations along those lines are still months away, the thrust of Thursday's meeting was to assure all parties that the endeavor was an study in alignment more than a mere exercise in change.

"In that vein," said Presidents Council chair Stephen Jordan, "the notion in Phase I that ‘everything is on the table' has changed. Some things are indeed off the table in Phase II."

That includes the notion of eliminating the nonchampionship segment, which Jordan called an unfounded rumor.

"During the course of Phase I a fear factor emerged that we were out to change what makes Division II unique. Not so," he said. "We've already heard from student-athletes, administrators and presidents alike that there is value in the nonchampionship segment. While we will review how that period should be structured to get the most value from it as possible, we're not considering a proposal to eliminate it."

At its core, Phase II continues the comprehensive review of the division's athletics behaviors that presidents demanded as far back as fall 2008. Knowing that an all-at-once approach for the 2010 Convention was too aggressive, presidents advised that the Life in the Balance project span at least two years. But the intent of each phase is the same: to ensure that Division II's attributes are as apparent out of competition as they are in it.

"The reason we dealt with the championship segment first is because that's where the so-called ‘season creep' was so apparent," Jordan said.

Jordan and others also noted a culture of "game-creep," in which this generation of student-athletes is matriculating to campuses already having been subject to hundreds of games through club, AAU and junior Olympics in addition to their high school schedules.

"That's a lot of wear and tear on a body," said Management Council chair Tim Selgo. "We have a culture of games – we all know that there is more to a balanced life than just games."

The glut of games also detracts from the skill instruction that many believe may be more valuable to players than the contests themselves. That may factor into the discussions about the nonchampionship segment, Selgo said.

Council and SAAC members also urged a study of academic performance and credit hours completed in and out of season before proposals are developed. Existing NCAA academic research shows that in general, student-athletes in all three divisions perform better in class during the nonchampionship segment, despite anecdotal evidence that might suggest otherwise.

The process for Phase II will mirror that of its predecessor in that the Division II Legislation and Championships Committees will vet concepts through student-athletes, coaches, commissioners, athletics directors and others before developing proposals for the Management and Presidents Councils to review in advance of the 2011 Convention.