Report of The

NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Issues Committee

ACTION ITEM.

· Legislative Action Item

1. Recommendation. The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Issues Committee unanimously recommends that the NCAA Division I Championship/ Competition Cabinet sponsor noncontroversial or emergency legislation to rescind NCAA Bylaw 30.18, which currently permits NCAA Division I men’s basketball coaches to attend a single basketball event selected at the discretion of the institution, certified by the NCAA and held in conjunction with and conducted within a 30-mile radius of the championship site and host city of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

2. Rationale. The event certification process was established to permit coaches to attend a single event during the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship (i.e., Final Four weekend) designed to be a celebration of the sport. The events were not intended to be conducted for the purpose of allowing prospective student-athletes to showcase their skills in front of college coaches. The original event that prompted the current legislation involved a team of prospects representing the United States participating against a foreign team. Most, if not all, of the participants were no longer prospective student-athletes and had committed or signed with various institutions. The limitation of attending one event also ensured that coaches maintained the opportunity to attend other meetings and activities conducted as part of the championship.

Several events now being certified are being operated by nonscholastic operators. Though they are meeting the certification criteria, it is questionable as to whether the events are meeting the intent and spirit of the original legislation. Many of these events span the entire course of a day or weekend and are clearly not celebratory in nature, but are operated and promoted as recruiting events designed to attract coaches who attend the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Ironically, the celebratory event that facilitated the adoption of the legislation no longer is conducted during Final Four weekend. The proposed elimination of the certification program will reinstate a full dead period surrounding the championship, thus reinforcing the celebratory nature of the weekend and reducing the pressure on coaches to engage in recruiting activities during this time period.

The committee believes this proposal should be adopted as emergency or noncontroversial legislation in order to take effect before the 2008 championship and to provide ample time to inform event operators and coaches of the change.

3. Estimated Budget Impact. None.

4. Student-Athlete Impact. None.

Committee chair: Lee Fowler, North Carolina State University, Atlantic Coast Conference

Staff Liaisons: Tom Jernstedt, executive

LuAnn Humphrey, enforcement

Stephen A. Mallonee, membership services