National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

February 2, 1998

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MIDSEASON TRENDS


At the midway point of the 1998 season, shooting in Division I women's basketball is up over last year -- if only slightly.

Women are shooting field goals at a rate of 41.45 percent, which is slightly higher than last year's final figure of 41.2 percent (an all-time low) but somewhat higher than the 40.89 percent rate reported at this same time last year. Three-point field goals are being shot at a rate of 31.24 percent, which is .14 percent higher than the final 1997 figure.

Free-three accuracy, however, has diminished slightly, falling from 66.4 percent at the conclusion of 1997 to 66.36 percent at midway 1998.

INITIAL ELIGIBILITY


Principals to receive core-course package

Principals at the nation's 24,000 high schools soon will be receiving a copy of the NCAA's "1998 Playbook" as a key part of the NCAA's re-vised core-course certification process.

The "1998 Playbook" will be mailed the week of February 16.

The changes place the responsibility for determining whether a course meets the NCAA definition of a core course with high-school principals. Among other things, the packet will provide principals with information on what constitutes a core course and with core-course submission forms for schools to submit the titles of new or revised courses that meet instructional content requirements.

The "1998 Playbook" has been field-tested at 20 high schools across the nation.

Staff contact: Robert A. Oliver.

RESEARCH

Study shows large differences in eligibility by race, income

NCAA research indicates that there are large differences among ethnic and income groups in eligibility rates for freshmen at NCAA Divi-sion I institutions.

The report compares the ineligibility rates in 1995 with those in 1996. Significant changes in NCAA initial-eligibility legislation occurred in fall 1996.

Basic findings from the report include:

  • The largest numbers of prospects declared ineligible were found in the self-reported white non-Hispanic and African-American groups.

  • The largest percentages of PSAs declared ineligible were found in the self-reported African-American group.

  • The self-reported family-income variable shows a clear trend for lower income levels to be associated with larger ineligibility frequencies and percentages.

  • In comparison to the 1995 cohorts, all impacts on the 1996 cohorts are larger, and some impacts are more than twice as large.

  • There seem to be independent effects of both ethnicity and income on ineligibility rates. That is, given the same family-income level, a higher proportion of African-American student-athletes will be declared ineligible than their white non-Hispanic counterparts.

    Staff contact: Todd A. Petr.

    LITIGATION

    Federal appeals court upholds restricted-earnings decision

    A federal appeals court has upheld a district judge's ruling that the NCAA violated antitrust law with its restricted-earnings coach legislation.

    On January 23, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver upheld Judge Kathryn H. Vratil's May 24, 1995, summary judgment against the Association and a January 1996 permanent injunction barring the NCAA from imposing compensation limitations on coaches.

    The ruling and permanent injunction resulted from a suit filed by five Division I men's basketball restricted-earnings coaches. The coaches challenged NCAA legislation that limited their annual compensation to $12,000 in income and $4,000 for the summer.

    The appeals court's action clears the way for a hearing of the coaches' claims of damages in the case. The trial on damages is set for April 1 in Vratil's courtroom in Kansas City, Kansas.

    Staff contact: Elsa Kircher Cole.

    REGIONAL SEMINARS

    Dates and Sites selected for 1998 rules-compliance seminars

    Dates and sites have been determined for the three 1998 NCAA regional rules-compliance seminars. They are:

  • May 6-8, Anaheim Hilton Hotel, Anaheim, California.

  • May 27-29, Hyatt Regency, Dallas.

  • June 10-12, Pittsburgh Hilton, Pittsburgh.

    Staff contact: Carolayne Henry.

    COMMITTEES

    New air-travel policy in place as of February 1

    The NCAA Executive Committee has approved a new policy that will permit committee members in all divisions to fly first class if the direct route between the site of origin and the destination is more than 1,200 miles.

    The new policy took effect February 1.

    The Executive Committee also approved eliminating the $100 stipend currently paid to committee members while increasing the per diem allowance from $40 to $75 to better cover out-of-pocket expenses.

    Staff contact: Keith E. Martin.