National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News Digest

June 1, 1998

DIVISION I ELIGIBILITY INDEXES

The l998-99 version of the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete is now available from NCAA publishing.

The easy-to-read booklet contains a wealth of information that is valuable for high-school students who are interested in continuing athletics participation at the intercollegiate level.

The publication contains information on academic eligibility standards, national signing dates, financial aid and much more. It also contains an introduction from NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey, who counsels prospective student-athletes against overemphasizing their athletics careers in the hopes that they will compete at the professional level. "The odds of a high-school football player making it to the pros at all -- let alone having a career -- are about 6,000 to 1," he writes. "The odds for a high-school basketball player are about 10,000 to 1."

For more information, contact NCAA publishing at 913/339-1900.

National testing dates

SAT -- ACT

1998-99 -- 1998-99

October 10, 1998 -- October 24, 1998

November 7, 1998 -- December 12, 1998

December 5, 1998 -- February 6, 1999

January 23, 1999 -- April 10, 1999

March 20, 1999 -- June 12, 1999

May 1, 1999

June 5, 1999

1998-99 National Letter of Intent Signing Dates

(Approved by the Collegiate Commissioners Association)

Sport -- Initial Date -- Final Date

Basketball (Early Period) -- Nov. 11, 1998 -- Nov. 18, 1998

Basketball (Late Period) -- April 7, 1999 -- May 15, 1999

Football (Midyear junior college transfer) -- Dec. 16, 1998 -- Jan. 15, 1999

Football (Regular) -- Feb. 3, 1999 -- April 1, 1999

Women's Volleyball, Field Hockey, Soccer, Men's Water Polo -- Feb. 3, 1999 -- Aug. 1, 1999

All Other Sports

(Early Period) -- Nov. 11, 1998 -- Nov. 18, 1998

All Other Sports

(Late Period) -- April 7, 1999 -- Aug. 1, 1999

[Note: These dates are subject to change.]

Qualifier Index

CORE GPA -- ACT* (new: sum of scores) -- SAT (old scoring system) before April 1, 1995 -- SAT (new scoring system) on or after April 1, 1995

2.500 & above -- 68 -- 700 -- 820

2.475 -- 69 -- 710 -- 830

2.450 -- 70 -- 720 -- 840-850

2.425 -- 70 -- 730 -- 860

2.400 -- 71 -- 740 -- 860

2.375 -- 72 -- 750 -- 870

2.350 -- 73 -- 760 -- 880

2.325 -- 74 -- 770 -- 890

2.300 -- 75 -- 780 -- 900

2.275 -- 76 -- 790 -- 910

2.250 -- 77 -- 800 -- 920

2.225 -- 78 -- 810 -- 930

2.200 -- 79 -- 820 -- 940

2.175 -- 80 -- 830 -- 950

2.150 -- 80 -- 840 -- 960

2.125 -- 81 -- 850 -- 960

2.100 -- 82 -- 860 -- 970

2.075 -- 83 -- 870 -- 980

2.050 -- 84 -- 880 -- 990

2.025 -- 85 -- 890 -- 1000

2.000 -- 86 -- 900 -- 1010

Partial Qualifier Index

Core GPA -- ACT* (new: sum of scores) -- SAT (old scoring system) SAT (new scoring system)

2.750 & above -- 59 -- 600 -- 720

2.725 -- 59 -- 610 -- 730

2.700 -- 60 -- 620 -- 730

2.675 -- 61 -- 630 -- 740-750

2.650 -- 62 -- 640 -- 760

2.625 -- 63 -- 650 -- 770

2.600 -- 64 -- 660 -- 780

2.575 -- 65 -- 670 -- 790

2.550 -- 66 -- 680 -- 800

2.525 -- 67 -- 690 -- 810

Previously, ACT score was calculated by averaging four scores. New standards are based on sum of scores.


DIVISION I

Override process continues with Sunday competition rule

Opponents of a Division I rule change that would eliminate the accommodation of institutions that have policies against Sunday competition have gathered the signatures required to advance the legislative override process.

The Division I Board of Directors gave final approval to the change at its April meeting. However, Brigham Young University and Camp-bell University organized an override effort and were able to gain the 30 signatures required for additional consideration of the measure.

The action means that the Board will reconsider the proposal at its next meeting in August. If the Board does not alter the decision, a Con-vention vote could be required.

This is the first time that an override effort has acquired the 30 signatures necessary for Board reconsideration.

Staff contact: Stephen R. Morgan.

ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS

NCAA, goverment agree on learning-disability issue

The NCAA and the U.S. Department of Justice have announced agreement related to initial- and continuing-eligibility standards for student-athletes with learning disabilities.

In the consent decree, the department noted that the "NCAA has engaged in good-faith negotiations with the United States in seeking to resolve this matter."

The decree document also notes that both parties acknowledge that the NCAA does not admit liability under the ADA and does not waive its position that it is not a place of public accommodation and that Title III of the ADA therefore does not apply to it. Nevertheless, the Association has maintained from the outset of these discussions that it has and will continue to comply voluntarily with the ADA provisions.

Staff contact: Kevin C. Lennon.

CONFERENCES

Eight members plan to leave Western Athletic Conference

Eight member institutions of the Western Athletic Conference say they will leave the 16-team league after the 1998-99 academic year to form a new conference.

The institutions planning to leave the WAC are the U.S. Air Force Academy; Brigham Young University; Colorado State University; the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the University of New Mexico; San Diego State University; the University of Utah; and the University of Wyoming.

The eight schools based their decision on the lack of traditional rivalries, rising travel costs and insufficient revenue growth. The WAC spans 3,900 miles and four time zones, ranging from Hawaii to Oklahoma.

The eight departing institutions indicated they will ask the NCAA to recognize the new unnamed conference immediately.

The institutions remaining in the WAC are California State University, Fresno; the University of Hawaii, Manoa; Rice University; San Jose State University; Southern Methodist University; Texas Christian University; the University of Texas at El Paso; and the University of Tulsa.

DIVISION III

Committee provides information on championships selection

The Division III Championships Committee has provided additional information to the membership to further clarify the impact of two of the three major changes in championships-selection principles that it had proposed earlier.

The Division III Management Council and Presidents Council requested the clarification after reviewing a revised draft of the committee's proposals at their recent meetings.

The changes are based on a greater emphasis on in-season conference and regional competition, consistent with the Division III Philosophy Statement. Those principles emerged as a result of Division III's recent restructuring process.

Staff contact: Daniel T. Dutcher.