The Division I Legislative Council engaged in a comprehensive review of every legislative proposal in the 2009-10 cycle and offered preliminary support to several, including a measure that would limit the number of prospective football student-athletes a coach can sign to 28.

More than half of the proposals would modify current recruiting rules.

In Proposal No. 2009-48, the Southeastern Conference wants to limit to 28 the number of Football Bowl Subdivision student-athletes who may sign a National Letter of Intent or an institutional offer of financial aid from the first signing day through May 31. The proposal would curb instances of “over-signing” that have the potential to leave some prospects without a scholarship.

Current rules allow FBS institutions to provide scholarships to 25 new student-athletes per year. However, some schools traditionally have signed more than that to protect themselves in the event that some prospects do not qualify academically. The SEC set a cap of 28 for its own institutions earlier this year, and at that time conference leaders said they viewed the letter of intent as an institutional commitment to a prospect who is capable of contributing academically and athletically. The Big Ten has a similar policy.

Legislative Council members agreed with the SEC and said the measure was “long overdue” and would promote student-athlete well-being.

The Council also supported a proposal that would subject coaches publicly designated as a “head coach in waiting” to the same recruiting restrictions as a head coach, though members indicated concerns about how to determine whether a coach has been publicly identified as the next head coach.

Other proposals receiving preliminary support were:

• 2009-64, which would create parameters for nontraditional courses used for initial-eligibility purposes.
• 2009-14, which would create the position and define the duties of a student manager.
• 2009-29, which would create a defined time for certain actions after a student-athlete requests a transfer.
• 2009-56, which would limit the types of scouting services to which coaches can subscribe.
• 2009-51, which would require an institution’s basketball camp or clinic to be held on campus or within 100 miles of campus.

The Council took no position on a number of issues that have gained attention nationally, including a proposal to shape the playing and practice seasons and financial aid parameters in sand volleyball. That measure will go to the membership for comment in January, pending the outcome of the override vote on the addition of sand volleyball as an emerging sport for women.

The Council also did not articulate a position on Proposal No. 2009-41, which would eliminate the production of printed media guides, and No. 2009-42, which would allow media guides to be printed but not distributed to recruits.

The Council also took no position on a proposal sponsored by the Amateurism Cabinet intended to loosen restrictions on prospective student-athletes who participate on teams with a teammate who is paid. A second portion of the proposal extends the delayed-enrollment rule – requiring student-athletes to enroll in college within a year of high school completion – to all sports, and shortening the period to six months in tennis.

The cabinet removed men’s ice hockey from the proposal, and the Council noted that other sports – including skiing – indicated a desire to be removed as well.

Council members briefly considered splitting the proposal into one with the delayed-enrollment piece and the other with the competition on teams with professionals but decided to keep the two portions together because the Amateurism Cabinet (the original sponsors of the proposal) believed that delaying enrollment in college – and participating in organized competition in that time – should have consequences.

Other proposals on which the group took no preliminary position:

• 2009-32, which would allow unlimited phone calls to recruits during contact periods.
• 2009-87, which would eliminate foreign tours.
• 2009-88, which would expand the opportunity for foreign tours to incoming freshmen and transfers who meet specific requirements.
• 2009-10, which would regulate the qualifications for graduate assistant coaches.
• 2009-79, which would restrict nonchampionship competition travel to ground transportation in certain sports.

Additionally, a proposal that would have prohibited schools from housing teams in a hotel the night before a home game was withdrawn by the Pacific-10 Conference.

Council members will cast their first official votes on the proposals at the 2010 NCAA Convention in January in Atlanta. Those approved or defeated in January will be considered adopted or defeated at the end of the Board of Directors meeting January 16. Those sent out for comment will be revisited in April.