Divisions II and III delegates will be considering six proposals from each division at the 2001 Convention in Orlando, Florida.

The 12 proposals are those that were properly submitted by the July 15 deadline from member conferences and institutions for consideration at the Association's January Convention. The total of 12 proposals is three more than were submitted from the membership in each of the last two years.

Of the six proposals in Division II, one would increase the number of student-athletes allowed to participate in out-of-season skill instruction sessions from three to four. The proposal, submitted by the Carolinas-Virginia Conference, the Lone Star Conference and the North Central Intercollegiate Conference, is designed to make skill-instruction sessions more efficient by allowing pairs of student-athletes to practice against each other. The proposal would make Division II skill-instruction legislation consistent with skill-instruction legislation in Division I.

Two Division II proposals regard football exemptions. Both proposals were submitted by the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, one that would exempt a postseason game between the RMAC and the Big West Conference, and another that would exempt a postseason game between the RMAC and the Lone Star Conference. Both games, modeled after the Pioneer Bowl and Mineral Water Bowl currently in effect for selected Division II conferences, would involve only teams not selected for the Division II football playoffs.

Another Division II proposal would allow student-athletes to exempt from individual and institutional limits all on-campus employment earnings outside of the athletics department or athletics facility up to $2,000 above a full grant-in-aid. Similar legislation was adopted in Division I two years ago. The Division II Legislative Committee also is recommending that the Management Council sponsor legislation that would exempt all on-campus employment, not just employment outside the athletics department. That proposal also would not have a $2,000 cap.

In Division III, two of the six proposals deal with the nontraditional segment, a topic that was debated during the 2000 Convention.

One of the proposals, submitted by the New Jersey Athletic Conference, would place playing and practice limitations on field hockey, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, baseball and softball. The sponsors believe the proposal accommodates the broad range of approaches to the Division III philosophy practiced by individual institutions with regard to the nontraditional season by decreasing the permissible number of contests, limiting the number of weeks of practice and competition, and prohibiting any missed class time.

The other proposal, from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, would allow schools to conduct practices supervised by coaches or captains on two days of the week and compete in competition during one weekend day during the nontraditional segment. The proposal also would limit all practice and competition during the nontraditional segment to a four-week period.

Two other Division III proposals deal with football, one of which would allow shoulder pads to be used during the three-day, noncontact conditioning practice period in football, and another that would change the first permissible playing date to the Thursday before Labor Day, which currently is the practice in Division II.

Another Division III proposal would eliminate "redshirting" in Division III by specifying that any athletics participation during or after the start of the first regular-season contest would count as a season of eligibility. The sponsors of the proposal, the members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, believe the amendment addresses a situation contrary to the Division III philosophy whereby student-athletes have extended their academic careers to enable their continued participation in intercollegiate athletics. The MIAC believes it was not the intent of the legislation to permit student-athletes to delay "normal progress" toward a degree by manipulating their academic course load for the purpose of athletics participation.

Divisions II and III membership proposals

Following are the statements of intent and sources for 12 proposals -- six in Division II and six in Division III -- that were properly submitted by member institutions and conferences for the 2001 NCAA Convention.

All of the proposals below are included in the Initial Publication of Proposed Legislation, which will be mailed to all member institutions by August 15. The proposals are numbered as they appear in the publication.

Division II legislative proposals

Intent: To permit noncoaching members of an institution's athletics staff to serve as an announcer or commentator on high-school, college preparatory or two-year college radio or television broadcasts.

Source: All members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and all members of the Northeast-10 Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

Intent: To prohibit the use of the missed-term exception during the first academic year of residence at the certifying institution.

Source: All members of the North Central Conference and all members of the Pacific West Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

No. 1-3: Financial Aid -- On-Campus Employment

Intent: To exempt from individual and institutional limits all on-campus employment earnings outside of the athletics department or athletics facility up to $2,000 above full grant in aid.

Source: All members of the Northeast-10 Conference and all members of the Peach Belt Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

No. 1-4: Playing and Practice Seasons -- Individual Skill Instruction

Intent: In sports other than football, to permit four student-athletes from the same sport to participate in individual skill-related instruction outside of the playing season during the academic year.

Source: All members of the Carolinas-Virginia Conference, all members of the Lone Star Conference and all members of the North Central Intercollegiate Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

No. 1-5: Contest Exemption -- Football -- Texas Bowl

Intent: To permit teams from the Lone Star Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to participate in the Texas Bowl beyond the legislated end of the playing season and to exempt such participation from the maximum permissible number of contests.

Source: All members of the Lone Star Conference and all members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

No. 1-6: Contest Exemption -- Football -- West Coast Bowl

Intent: To permit teams from the Pacific West Conference/Columbia Football Association and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to participate in the West Coast Bowl beyond the legislated end of the playing season and to exempt such participation from the maximum permissible number of contests.

Source: All members of the Pacific West Conference and all members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

Division III legislative proposals

No. 1-7: Eligibility -- Minimum Amount of Competition

Intent: To eliminate "redshirting" in Division III intercollegiate athletics by specifying that any athletics participation during or after the start of the first regular season contest shall exhaust a season of eligibility.

Source: All members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

No. 1-8: Playing and Practice Seasons -- Nontraditional Segment -- Baseball, Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball

Intent: To place playing and practice limitations on the sports of field hockey, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, baseball and softball as specified.

Source: All members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

No. 1-9: Playing and Practice Seasons -- Practice and Competition in the Nontraditional Segment

Intent: To permit an institution to conduct practices supervised by coaches or captains [see Bylaw 17.02.1.1-(j)] (but not both) on two days during a given week and participate in competition on a weekend day (e.g., Saturday, Sunday) during a four-week period in the nontraditional segment. Further, to specify that the four-week period must be completed by October 30 for spring sports and may not begin before February 1 for fall sports, except in the sports of golf and tennis per Bylaw 17.1.11.3.

Source: All members of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

No. 1-10: First Permissible Practice Date -- Basketball

Intent: To specify that an institution may commence on-court preseason basketball practice sessions on October 15.

Source: All members of the American Southwest Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

Intent: To permit the use of shoulder pads during the three-day, noncontact conditioning practice period in football.

Source: All members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic and Ohio Athletic Conferences.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.

Intent: To permit an institution to play its first football contest on the Thursday before Labor Day weekend.

Source: All members of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Effective date: August 1, 2001.