ncaa press release

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

NCAA Press Release: D-I Basketball
Proposals Recommended --(Oct. 24, 2001)

Here's the NCAA's official press release, issued late yesterday, on the new legislation which will impact basketball recruiting immediately and for the near future. See our separate analysis for our view that the impact will have in the immediate short-term for current recruits in the class of 2002:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Tuesday, October 23, 2001
Jane Jankowski
Assistant Director for Public
Relations
317/917-6128

DIVISION I MANAGEMENT COUNCIL OFFERS MODIFICATION OF
"5/8" BYLAW

INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division I Management Council today agreed to
recommend to the Division I Board of Directors a proposal that would modify its "5/8"
bylaw. The rule has limited the number of initial grants that may be awarded to men's
basketball players to eight in a consecutive two-year period, with no more than five
initial grants in one of those two years.

The modification, which will be considered by the Division I Board of Directors on
November 1, would allow institutions to award up to a total of nine initial grants during
this academic year and 2002-03, with no more than five initial grants in one year. For
example, those that awarded five this year would be allowed to award four for the
2002-03 year; those that awarded less than five initial grants this year could award up
to five for 2002-03.

The "5/8" limit would resume in 2003-04 with one change. When the number of
student-athletes who graduate in any given year combined with those who leave an
institution early but who are on track to graduate within five years exceeds the number
of initial grants provided during that same given year, the school would earn one
additional initial grant. The additional grant must be used within the following two years.
Overall men's basketball scholarship limits would remain at 13.

"This is a well-intentioned rule with unintended consequences. The Board has asked us
to look at ways to provide universities with relief. We believe this modification does
that," said Charles Harris, chair of the Management Council and commissioner of the
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The Council, meeting October 22 and 23, also sent to the Board a recommendation
that would set reinstatement policy for the Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement
Subcommittee as it considers violations of bylaws for student-athletes who competed
on a professional team prior to initial enrollment in an NCAA institution. The
reinstatement condition would be to withhold a student-athlete from a maximum of 20
percent of contests or eight games. The recommendation was forwarded by the
Collegiate Commissioners Association (CCA) and primarily affects international
basketball student-athletes who have participated in international leagues. The policy
will be considered by the Board next week.

The Student-Athlete Reinstatement Subcommittee's long-standing directive states that
student-athletes who participated in first-tier-level professional competition in a foreign
country would be withheld from one intercollegiate game for each professional game
played. Recently, the subcommittee modified the directive to specify that the
reinstatement penalty for student-athletes who have participated in second-tier
international competition be reduced to one game for every two professional games
played. For those who participated in competition below the first and second tiers, the
committee recommended a penalty of 10 percent of the intercollegiate season (three
games).

In other action, the Council gave initial approval to new criteria for Division I-A
membership. The proposal, which would be effective August 1, 2004, would require
that a Division I-A member:

Provide an average of at least 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of
football grants-in-aid per year over a rolling two-year period (the maximum
annual allowance is currently 85; 90 percent would be 76.5).

Annually participate in a minimum of five regular-season home contests against
Division I-A opponents.

Sponsor a minimum of 16 varsity sports, with a minimum of six varsity sports for
men and a minimum of eight varsity sports for women.

Annually offer a minimum of 200 athletics grants-in-aid in all sports or expend at
least $4 million on athletics grants-in-aid to student-athletes.

Annually demonstrate an average actual attendance of 15,000 for all home
football games.

The Council also sent to the Board a set of recommendations related to men's
basketball recruiting. The proposals would:

Strengthen the process for certifying summer basketball events, including a
requirement for comprehensive educational and mentoring activities as well as
disclosure of financial information about the sources of funds for the events and
how they are allocated (01-51).

Alter the Division I men's basketball recruiting calendar to reflect a summer
evaluation period of two 10-day periods separated by a four-day dead period
(July 8 to 17 and July 22 to 31); to permit one telephone call to a prospect
during the month of March of the junior year; to permit one recruiting contact
with a prospect during the April contact period of his junior year, to be included
in the five permissible recruiting opportunities; to allow official visits beginning
January 1 of the junior year; to establish 40 as the number of evaluation days
during the academic year; and to eliminate evaluations during the fall contact
period except for activities at the prospect's educational institution (01-52, as
amended).

Prohibit university staff members who are attending certified summer events from
having contact with a prospect's coach or other individuals associated with the
prospect. The proposal also prohibits unofficial visits during July (01-53).

Require Division I colleges and universities to publicly disclose information about
the financial relationships among institutions, corporations and coaches of
prospects. Institutions that do not disclose the information will not be permitted
to participate in the July evaluation period (01-54).

Allow the restricted coach in men's and women's basketball to participate in
off-campus recruiting during the summer evaluation period and academic year,
without increasing the number of coaches who can recruit off campus at any one
time (01-55).

In other action, the Management Council:

Approved a proposal that will be reviewed by the Division I Board of Directors
that would establish additional criteria for certified events. Specifically, the
proposal would prohibit certification of an event if it is conducted in a venue
where sports wagering on intercollegiate athletics is permitted or on property
sponsored by an establishment that permits sports wagering on college sports or
is branded with signage for such an establishment.

Tabled consideration of a package of amateurism proposals related to
pre-enrolled individuals until April 2002. The Board of Directors had requested
that alternative packages containing various existing proposals be structured for
review. Three alternatives have been created and circulated to Division I
conferences for review. All included the organized competition rule (99-106-1).

1.Package A includes proposals that would allow prospects to compete
with professionals (99-109), sign a professional contract (99-108), enter a
professional draft and be drafted (99-107), and the organized competition
rule.

2.Package B is the same as A but adds a proposal that would allow
prospects to accept prize money based on place finish (99-110).

3.Package C is the same as B but adds a proposal that would allow
prospects to receive compensation for athletics participation (99-111).

Approved a recommendation that would extend voting privileges to
student-athletes on some Division I and association-wide committees (01-57,
58).

Gave initial approval to proposals that would establish a transition period for new
members to meet specified requirements to join Division I or for current NCAA
members to reclassify to Division I. The proposal for new members would
establish a seven-year provisional membership period that includes completion of
specific requirements, such as satisfying sport sponsorship and financial aid
requirements, participating in compliance seminars, and submitting and initiating a
strategic plan that addresses Division I philosophy. The proposal for members to
reclassify from Division II to Division I would establish a five-year process to
become an active Division I member.

Gave initial approval to a proposal that would permit a basketball student-athlete
to resume intercollegiate competition after declaring intent to return within 30
days of being drafted after entering a professional draft (01-87).

Initially approved a proposal that would amend the definition of a professional
team to one that provides expenses above actual and necessary to any of its
players (01-96). The Council also approved a proposal that specifies that an
individual will not be eligible for intercollegiate competition if he or she ever
competed on a professional team, regardless of knowledge that the team was
professional (01-97).

Reinforced existing bylaws that encourage regional competition in championships
in an effort to minimize travel for teams this fall. The Championships/Competition
Cabinet said sports committees have authority to seed 25 percent of a bracket
and should place remaining teams in geographic proximity to home and to avoid
first-round match-ups between teams from the same conference. Those
committees that have authority to avoid such match-ups during the first two
rounds now are limited to avoiding such match-ups only during the first round for
fall championships this year.

Sent a recommendation to the Board that would permit a Division I-A institution
to be bowl-eligible with a winning percentage of .500 during 12-game seasons
(01-90).

All Division I legislative proposals are available at NCAA Online,
www.ncaa.org/databases/legislation/.