INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division I Management Council gave its final approval today to an academic reform package that will punish institutions and teams that fail to demonstrate commitment toward the academic progress, retention and graduation of student-athletes. The package now goes before the Division I Board of Directors for a final vote April 29 in Indianapolis.
The academic reform package, commonly known as the incentives/disincentives program, includes a responsibility that institutions submit annual documentation demonstrating compliance with a minimum academic progress rate, which will be determined after the collection of data this academic year. The program includes measurements that account for variances in institutional mission, sport, culture and gender, while holding institutions accountable for their academic progress. Institutions or teams that excel academically will be recognized, and institutions that fail to meet established minimums will be penalized.
"This is the keystone piece of a comprehensive academic reform effort that began a couple of years ago," said NCAA President Myles Brand. "Specifically, it puts teeth in the reform by holding individual institutions and sports programs accountable for educating student-athletes."
The proposed legislation includes the creation of an academic-progress rate (APR) that will be calculated by the NCAA and will include all scholarship student-athletes entering the institution. It also includes a graduation-success rate (GSR) based on a six-year window for graduation and also including all scholarship student-athletes entering the institution.
Data will be collected for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic years, after which there will be a determination regarding the appropriate "cut lines" for penalties or incentives. A new NCAA committee, the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP), will be created to oversee the program and will report to the Division I Management Council and Board of Directors. Final recommendations regarding penalties will be made by CAP and provided to the NCAA membership before any teams would be subject to sanctions. It is expected that contemporaneous penalties (e.g. loss of scholarships) will begin in 2005-06. Historical penalties (associated with academic failure over time) may include reductions in scholarships and/or recruiting limitations; ineligibility for NCAA team postseason or preseason competition, including bowl games and NCAA championships; and restricted membership status in the NCAA for the institution.
The Management Council also devoted a significant amount of time to reviewing the work of the NCAA Recruiting Task Force, offering support, feedback and suggestions. The Council agreed that the task force was addressing the right issues with its dual goals of: reducing prospects' sense of entitlement and providing an accountability mechanism for both NCAA rules and institutional policies related to the behavior of all individuals involved in the recruiting process.
"Some unfortunate and unacceptable behaviors have developed within the recruiting process and official visits at some institutions. A culture of entitlement pervades the experience, and we have to turn that around by holding each campus accountable for setting expectations and monitoring behavior," Brand said.
In other action, the Management Council recommended to the Board of Directors that it approve Proposal 2003-76, which would, if passed by the Board, eliminate the current limit on the number of initial counters in men's basketball. If approved by the Board, the proposal would rescind the legislation commonly known as the "5-in-8 Rule," effective immediately after the Board vote April 29.
The Management Council also discussed Proposal 2003-88, which would have prohibited institutions from producing printed media guides and recruiting brochures. The Atlantic Coast Conference, which had sponsored the legislation, withdrew the proposal. After it was withdrawn, the Big 10 Conference moved the proposal, placing it back on the Council's agenda for discussion. The Council ultimately referred the proposal-along with Proposals 2003-32 and 2003-36, which also addressed recruiting materials in print and in video and audio-to the Academics/ Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet for a comprehensive review of all recruiting materials.
The next meeting of the Division I Management Council will be July 19-20 in Baltimore, Maryland.
For additional information about actions taken by the Division I Management Council, see the NCAA Web site at www.ncaa.org.
