The NCAA News - News and FeaturesOctober 27, 1997
Bowl-eligibility change goes to Division I Board
The Division I Management Council has sent legislation to the Division I Board of Directors that will permit a Division I-A football team to count, under certain circumstances, a victory against a I-AA opponent toward the six wins required for postseason bowl qualification.
The legislation, approved at the Council's October 20-21 meeting, will be considered October 28 by the Board of Directors. If approved, it will become effective for the 1998 season.
The Management Council gave initial approval to the legislation at its August meeting. The membership had 60 days to react, and that comment period led to a pair of amendments to the original legislation (which simply stated that the six wins could include one against a I-AA opponent).
The first amendment stipulates that for the victory to count toward postseason qualification, the I-AA opponent must grant an average of at least 60 grants-in-aid over the preceding three-year period. The second amendment provides that I-A programs may use a victory over a I-AA opponent to qualify for postseason competition only once every four years.
It was one of 12 pieces of legislation to receive second approval from the Management Council. The others, which were circulated to the membership in August, were approved essentially unamended, except for No. 97-10, which was changed to clarify that, although discussion would be among all members, votes on the Football Issues Committee would be subdivision-specific (that is, only I-A members would vote on I-A matters and I-AA members would vote on
I-AA matters). The 12 legislative items will be enacted if approved by the Board of Directors October 28.
Proposal No. 62
Another major matter involved discussion of 1997 Convention Proposal No. 62, which would permit Division I student-athletes to earn up to the cost of attendance in employment earnings during the academic year. At its August meeting, the Board of Directors imposed a one-year delay of the effective date of the legislation. It asked the Management Council to suggest appropriate modifications and implementation guidance and to report back to the Board in January.
The Management Council discussed the issue at length and addressed several questions that will serve as guideposts in its ongoing examination. Those questions included:
Whether the athletics department should be involved in monitoring the job program.
Whether the athletics department should assist athletes in securing such employment.
Whether to count Pell Grants in determining whether a student-athlete has met the cost of attendance limit and, if so, whether economically disadvantaged student-athletes would be adversely affected by such a policy.
Whether a specific dollar amount would be a more appropriate limit than the cost of attendance.
Whether athletes on full grants should be treated differently from those receiving partial aid.
Whether certain types of compensation (for example, tips or commissions) should be excluded from permissible earnings. If so, would that adversely affect the ability of student-athletes to acquire service-industry jobs such as waiting tables?
A seven-person subcommittee was appointed to develop recommendations for review by the full Management Council. The members are Arthur W. Cooper, North Carolina State University; James Jarrett, Old Dominion University; Edward "Ted" Leland, Stanford University; Bridget Niland, State University of New York at Buffalo; Jeffrey H. Orleans, Ivy Group; Charlotte West, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; and Charles Whitcomb, San Jose State University.
Cabinet reports
The Management Council also received reports from the four Division I cabinets.
David B. Knight of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, chair of the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, reported on a proposed change in evaluating high-school core courses needed for initial-eligibility certification.
The proposal was presented to the Board of Directors in August and involves placing the responsibility for determining core courses on the high schools rather than on the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.
Knight said that the requirements for a core course need to be clearly understood and easily applicable. He also noted that the NCAA's present basic definitions of core courses were crafted in 1983 and need revision, given the many changes that have occurred in high-school curriculums in the intervening years.
To assist with such revision, the cabinet has enlisted help from several high-school educational associations. After recommendations have been formed, he said, clearinghouse representatives will judge the effects that such changes would have on clearinghouse function.
The Management Council voted to accept the cabinet's working proposal on core-course review and asked the cabinet to present its report back to it before the Board considers the matter at its January meeting.
Knight also reviewed a proposal advanced by the National Association of Basketball Coaches -- and supported by the cabinet -- to modify the recruiting evaluation process in Division I men's basketball. The matter was left with the cabinet for further discussion. It was noted that time may be set aside at the 1998 NCAA Convention for a division-wide discussion of the matter.
Another significant action was taken based on a recommendation from the Business/Finance Cabinet. The Management Council voted, effective immediately, to permit access to the Division I special assistance fund for the cost of clothing and other essential expenses for qualifying student-athletes receiving any degree of athletically related financial aid.
In addition, the Management Council requested analysis of the financial ramifications of providing access to the fund for all Division I student-athletes who have unmet financial needs and other ideas for increasing the use of the funds by student-athletes.
Other highlights
Division I Management Council
October 20-21/Kansas City, Missouri
From the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet:
Recommended Board approval of a Bylaw 30 amendment to establish a dead period in Division I men's lacrosse from the Friday before the Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship to noon on the Tuesday after the championship.
Approved establishment of a standing liaison from the cabinet's Subcommittee on Initial-Eligibility Issues to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Committee.
Noted procedural changes related to approving nonstandard test scores approved by the cabinet. Beginning with the class entering a collegiate institution during the 1998-99 academic year, upon confirmation of a student's learning disability or physical handicap by the NCAA, all test scores achieved by that student under nonstandard testing conditions would be approved. No additional documentation would be sought by the NCAA.
From the Championships/Competition Cabinet:
Initially approved changes in permissible contact days for Division I spring football. The proposal will be circulated to the membership for comment.
Tabled a proposal to establish a Division I Basketball Issues Committee.
Tabled a Bylaw 30 change in criteria for exempted contests pending review of possible scheduling ramifications for the University of Hawaii, Manoa.
Agreed to recommend to the Executive Committee restoration of funding for team mementos for Division I and National Collegiate championships. The mementos are those provided by the host institution rather than NCAA trophies or awards based on place finish.
Because of pre-existing television contracts, approved a waiver of Bylaw 17.10.5.3 that will permit institutions to participate once in four years in both the Pigskin Classic and the Kick-Off Classic during the remainder of the contract. The cabinet had denied the waiver request.
From the Business/Finance Cabinet:
Recommended to the NCAA Executive Committee that a subcommittee be appointed to work with NCAA staff to evaluate responses to a request for proposals for the Association's catastrophic-injury insurance plan.
From the Strategic Planning Cabinet:
Referred back to the Strategic Planning Cabinet and the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet a proposal to establish an Association-wide Professional Sports Liaison Committee. In particular, the Management Council requested further review of how examination of agent issues could be most effectively handled and how best to handle communication with professional leagues.
Approved a request from the cabinet to authorize a member of the cabinet to attend one meeting annually of each Association-wide cabinet that reports to it.
Denied a recommendation from the cabinet to delete information on academic majors from the annual graduation-rates report.
Approved a cabinet recommendation to delete information on partial qualifiers and nonqualifiers from the graduation-rates report.
Requested the Strategic Planning Cabinet to develop means of clarifying the Division I legislative process and to review the legislative and general governance communications process, especially with regard to electronic communication. Also, agreed to develop a "best practices" review of how communication is being achieved between a conference and its representatives in the Division I governance structure.
Other business:
Approved a proposal from the Division I Committee on Athletics Certification to amend Bylaw 20.3.5.2.2 to permit waivers of the restricted-membership category to take place at any meeting of the Board of Directors (rather than just the January meeting).
As recommended by the athletics certification committee, approved changes in the Association's agreement with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Commission on Colleges.
Approved a proposal by the Division I Committee on Infractions to streamline the processing of routine secondary violations. The new method identifies 46 common noncontroversial cases and provides appropriate actions to be imposed. The penalty schedule will be disseminated to all Division I member institutions and conferences. Conferences will compile such violations and report them on a quarterly basis to the NCAA. A staggered schedule will be created to enhance work flow.
Approved a recommendation by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to permit a nonvoting representative from SAAC to sit on the Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet, the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Competitive Aspects of Sports, the Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee of the Championships/Competition Cabinet, and the Marketing and Promotions Subcommittee of the Business/Finance Cabinet.
Reviewed the tentative Division I program for the 1998 NCAA Convention in Atlanta.
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