NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE-The NCAA Division III membership adopted eight proposals as part of a "reform package" at its annual legislative session today. Among the proposals adopted were an end to the practice of "red-shirting," an annual financial-aid reporting process, a reduction in the length of playing and practice seasons, and the creation of limitations on practice and competition in the nontraditional season. The membership also adopted a proposal that permits eight Division III institutions currently offering a Division I sport and athletics scholarships to continue doing so.

"A remarkable amount was achieved in today's session in terms of reform," said John McCardell, president of Middlebury College and chair of the Division III Presidents Council. "When you look at the substantial proposals that the membership adopted today, from the financial-aid review process, the elimination of red-shirting, and the reduction of the overall length of the playing season to limitations on practice and contests in the nontraditional segment, it adds up to a pretty significant collective accomplishment. The cumulative effect of these proposals that have been adopted is really an affirmation that athletics is not something one does apart from the rest of the collegiate enterprise."

The membership approved a financial-aid review process that will require institutions to report to the NCAA, on an annual basis electronically, a comparison of financial-aid packaging for freshmen and first-year transfer student-athletes with the aid packages awarded to other freshmen and transfer students. The membership also approved legislation permitting student-athletes to issue a "self-release" to contact other institutions about a potential transfer. The membership also approved legislation to shorten the playing season from 21 weeks to 18 weeks in fall sports and 19 weeks in winter and spring sports. The membership also adopted legislation that will significantly limit practice and competition during the nontraditional segment for fall and spring sports. Also adopted was legislation that will further limit voluntary out-of-season workouts with coaches that had occurred outside the playing and practice seasons in the sports of gymnastics, swimming and diving, fencing, rowing, skiing and rifle.

"I would call today's votes on academic reform in Division III a significant success," said NCAA President Myles Brand. "The Presidents Council did not get all it had wanted - a reduction in the number of contests is the most notable exception - but the core of the reform package was approved. With regard to the scholarship waiver for the eight multi-divisional institutions, the large majority of the membership saw no harm being done to the Division III philosophy. This proposal was not central to the reform package, either. All in all, Division III made an important statement about intercollegiate athletics today."

Those Division III institutions that will be permitted to continue offering athletics scholarships in their Division I sport programs are: Clarkson University; Colorado College; Hartwick College; Johns Hopkins University; State University College at Oneonta; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark; and St. Lawrence University.

In other legislation, the Division III membership voted to:

• Require Division III institutions to certify annually that participating student-athletes present proof of insurance coverage up to the amount of the deductible of the NCAA Catastrophic Injury Insurance Program.
• Prohibit an institution from using income from endowment funds specifically for financial aid for student-athletes.
• Revise the Division III Philosophy Statement to specify that athletics recruitment complies with established institutional policies and procedures applicable to the admissions process.

KH:mel

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