NCAA News Archive - 2002

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News Digest

Mar 4, 2002 4:34:49 PM

The NCAA News

Calendar

March 4	Executive Committee Budget Committee	Indianapolis

March 4	Division I Budget Committee	Indianapolis

March 4-5	Division II Strategic Alliance Matching Grant Selection Meeting	Dallas

March 8-9	Foreign Student Records Committee	San Diego

March 19	Division III Championships Committee	Indianapolis

March 27-28	Division II Football Issues Project Team	Dallas

DIVISION I

Football issues committee hears case for fifth year

The Division I Football Issues Committee heard a report from football coaches encouraging the Division I to consider a fifth year of eligibility for football players.

American Football Coaches Association Executive Director Grant Teaff led the discussion. He told the committee that the idea, which has gained support among Division I-A football coaches, would be beneficial because it would eliminate, or at least reduce, redshirting and thus give the head coach full use of the entire squad. Coaches say that in turn it would minimize the impact of injuries and maximize the morale of players who might otherwise be withheld from competition. Teaff said the proposal also would not necessarily increase costs since most scholarships in football extend through a five-year period anyway.

The Football Issues Committee took no position on the issue until further study is completed. The committee wants to determine a more accurate measure of how many student-athletes would benefit from such a rule and what, if any, cost-savings actually would be realized. In addition, the committee noted that if such a proposal were to be approved, it likely would be extended to all sports; therefore, the group also wants to seek input from the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

A similar proposal previously was denied by the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet.

Staff contact: Dennis Poppe - dpoppe@ncaa.org

DIVISION II

Project team develops pilot for alternative graduation report

The Division II Graduation Rates Project Team has developed a pilot graduation-rate study that will measure student-athletes who are not covered under the study currently required by the federal Student-Right-to-Know Act.

The Division II pilot study will collect graduation-rate information for student-athletes not receiving athletically related financial aid and for transfer students.

Forms will be mailed to all Division II athletics directors in early May, with returns requested by late June or early July. The pilot program will be voluntary, and results will be compiled in a way so that one institution is not compared against another.

Institutions will be asked to provide information on participants in randomly selected sports. In most cases, data will be requested for two sports, although institutions chosen for football will be limited to that sport to reduce the reporting burden. The pilot report should be complete by early fall.