The NCAA News - News & Features

Committee studies changes in pro basketball draft rule

Currently, NCAA Bylaw 12.2.4.2.1 permits a student-athlete in the sport of basketball to enter a professional league's draft one time during his or her collegiate career without jeopardizing eligibility in that sport, provided the student-athlete declares his or her intention to resume intercollegiate participation within 30 days after the draft. Under the three-year-old rule, the athlete's declaration of intent must be in writing to the institution's athletics director.

The committee met with Jamin Dershowitz, associate legal counsel of the National Basketball Association (NBA), to discuss several issues, including a pre-draft advisory committee (similar to the NFL's Undergraduate Advisory Committee), the current NCAA basketball draft rule, loans to student-athletes with draft potential and the emergence of the Women's National Basketball Association.

In addition, Dershowitz informed the committee that the NBA is considering instituting an age limit for the NBA draft. If implemented, NBA teams would be permitted to draft only individuals who have attained a certain age.

The committee requested that the NCAA contact the NBA regarding the Association's interest in the proposed initiatives, including the development of an undergraduate advisory committee and an age limit with regard to the NBA draft.

The committee also agreed to recommend a modification of the current rule, contingent upon the implementation of a pre-draft advisory committee for student-athletes by the NBA, whereby undergraduate student-athletes who declare for a professional league's draft and are drafted will not have the option to return to school (those not drafted still will have the option to return).

The advisory committee would provide underclassmen who are considering entering the draft with legitimate information on their potential draft status so they are better able to make informed decisions.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Professional Sports Liaison Committee
July 8-10/Carmel, California

* Recommended that the NCAA Council sponsor legislation for the 1997 Convention permitting a professional sports team or organization to sponsor a youth team, including a team with prospective student-athletes. Such sponsorship would require that the organization receiving the sponsorship be amateur, and sponsorship must not be earmarked for a specific individual.

* Requested that the NCAA contact Major League Baseball officials to encourage a date change for the league's amateur draft. Currently, Major League Baseball conducts its annual amateur draft the first week in June, approximately the same time that the NCAA conducts its College World Series.

* Requested that the staff contact representatives from the American Basketball League (ABL) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) to open a dialogue with both organizations and to extend an invitation to the representatives to attend the committee's next meeting. The committee urged the WNBA, with assistance from the Professional Sports Liaison Committee, to open a dialogue with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association regarding draft procedures for the WNBA.

* Reviewed the progress of the NCAA Special Committee on Agents and Amateurism.