National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

May 25, 1998

I men's basketball requests reduction in AQ waiting period

The Division I Men's Basketball Committee will recommend to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet that the current eight-year waiting period for new Division I members to be eligible to be a conference's automatic qualifying representative in the championship be reduced to two years, beginning with the 1999 championship.

The recommendation was formulated at the committee's meeting in Tampa, Florida, May 6-7.

The current eight-year waiting period begins after each new Division I member completes a two-year "reclassification period." (Institutions that previously were not NCAA members must complete a three-year provisional period.) The two-year period, if approved, also would begin after the same reclassification period.

The Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) overwhelmingly supported a reduction. Since eligibility for an automatic bid is a conference benefit, the committee supported the CCA's recommendation.

Regardless of whether the recommendation is approved, new Division I members will continue to be eligible for at-large tournament bids after completing the two-year reclassification or three-year provisional period.

The committee also will forward a recommendation to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet that current logo restrictions on apparel worn by student-athletes participating in the championship be extended to apply to all persons who are on the team bench for practices and games, and who appear at NCAA news conferences (for example, coaches and athletic trainers).

The recommendation will be distributed to other sports committees for comment. A similar request from the Division I Women's Volleyball Committee was denied in 1990.

Other highlights

Division I Men's Basketball Committee
May 6-7/Tampa, Florida

  • Agreed to recommend to the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Rules Committees that the two-half format be continued for college basketball (as opposed to the four-quarter format that was used experimentally last season). The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Board of Directors supported the recommendation. The committee also will propose to the rules committees a new format that would address the flow of the game in the last few minutes of televised contests.

  • Agreed to recommend to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet to eliminate the current policy that precludes commercial identification on the uniforms worn by the band and cheerleader/spirit squads of the institutions participating in the championship. The committee recommended that the current logo restriction on student-athletes' apparel be extended to apply to members of band and cheerleader/spirit squads.

  • Met with the NABC Board of Directors to review various aspects of the championship.

  • Reviewed various aspects of the 1998 championship, including an evaluation of each tournament site and several potential misconduct issues.

  • Reviewed plans for the 1999 Final Four Salute Presentation.