REPORT OF THE FEBRUARY 16-18, 2005

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.

1. Legislative – Cabinet Sponsored Proposals for the 2006-07 Legislative Cycle. (The full text of these proposals, including rationale statements, will be available through the NCAA Legislative Services Database for the internet (LSDBi) and in the NCAA Division I Publication of Proposed Legislation as of August 15, 2006, and the NCAA Division I Official Notice as of November 15, 2006.)

a. NCAA Division I Constitution 6.1.2 – Campus Athletics Boards. The cabinet sponsored legislation to require each member institution to designate a campus athletics board responsible for advising or establishing athletics policies. Further, faculty and administrators who hold an academic appointment shall constitute at least a simple majority of the board and the faculty athletics representative shall serve as a voting or nonvoting member of the board. Campus athletics boards play a key role in the integration of athletics into the university as a whole. The board composition requirement ensures appropriate faculty involvement in the overall checks and balances system designed to ensure academic integrity and athletics rules compliance. This concept was forwarded to the cabinet by the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA).

b. NCAA Division I Bylaws 10.1 and Bylaw 12.1.1 – Ethical Conduct and Amateurism – Unethical Conduct and Validity of Amateur Status – Institutional Responsibility. The cabinet sponsored legislation to specify that unethical conduct shall include the failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA, the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse or the institution’s athletics department regarding an individual’s record related to his or her status as an amateur athlete and to clarify an institution’s responsibility for promptly reporting all discrepancies in information used in a student-athlete’s amateurism-eligibility certification to the clearinghouse. Current legislation does not specify that an institutional staff member’s knowledge of incomplete or inaccurate information used by the clearinghouse regarding an individual’s amateur record constitutes unethical conduct. Failure to provide such information is as serious and egregious as withholding information regarding an individual’s academic record. The integrity of the amateurism fact-finding process depends on institutions promptly providing relevant information and reporting discrepancies in certification information.

c. Bylaw 11.7.4 – Personnel – Limitations on the Number of Coaches – Off-Campus Recruiting. The cabinet sponsored legislation to increase the number of coaches who may recruit off campus at any one time from one to two in men’s and women’s fencing, men’s and women’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s rifle, men’s tennis and men’s water polo. This legislation will provide
equity among sports and flexibility in the recruiting process. Athletics administrators who remain on campus are able to assist student-athletes during times when the head and assistant coaches are away from campus.

d. Bylaw 12.2.1.2 – Amateurism – Involvement with Professional Teams – Tryouts – Tryouts After Enrollment. The cabinet sponsored legislation to permit a student-athlete, at any time and regardless of his or her enrollment status, to try out with a professional athletics team in a sport or receive not more than one expense-paid visit from each professional team (or participation in a combine including that team), provided such a visit does not exceed 48 hours and any payment or compensation in connection with the visit is not in excess of actual and necessary expenses; further, to specify that a self-financed tryout may be for any length of time. Permitting a professional team to pay for a student-athlete’s actual and necessary expenses associated with a tryout will provide more opportunities for student-athletes who may not be able to afford to pay their own expenses. In addition, this proposal will reduce the pressure on student-athletes to seek funding for these opportunities from impermissible outside sources that jeopardize their eligibility if they wish to return to participation in intercollegiate athletics. Student-athletes should be afforded the same opportunities to try out with professional athletics teams as prospective student-athletes enjoy prior to collegiate enrollment.

e. Bylaw 12.2.4.2 – Amateurism – Involvement with Professional Teams – Draft and Inquiry – Draft List – Sports Other Than Basketball or Football. The cabinet sponsored legislation to specify that an enrolled student-athlete in a sport other than basketball or football may enter a professional league’s draft one time during his or her collegiate career without jeopardizing eligibility in that sport, provided the student-athlete is not drafted and within 72 hours after the draft the student-athlete declares his or her intention to resume participation in intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete’s declaration of intent shall be in writing to the institution’s director of athletics. For several years, football and basketball student-athletes have had the opportunity to gather information about their potential professional draft status and still declare their intention to return to the institution in a reasonable time frame. Student-athletes in all sports should have the same opportunity to “test the waters” of a professional career and be permitted to return to intercollegiate athletics participation.

f. Bylaw 12.6.1.2.1 – Amateurism – Financial Donations from Outside Organizations – Professional Sports Organizations – Reciprocal Marketing Agreements. The cabinet sponsored legislation to permit, in football and men’s basketball, an institution to enter into a reciprocal marketing agreement with a professional sports organization for the purpose of marketing and promoting football and men’s basketball. Reciprocal marketing agreements between an institution and a professional sports organization are currently permissible for sports other than football and basketball. The rationale for the legislation to permit reciprocal marketing agreements in those sports was to increase the exposure of and fan interest in the less visible sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. Cross-promotional activities are beneficial to all intercollegiate sports, regardless of the visibility of the sport. Some institutions’ football and basketball programs, such as those challenged with fan attendance, will benefit through these marketing agreements. Various professional teams and leagues could also mutually benefit from reciprocal marketing agreements with an institution’s football or basketball programs.

g. Recruiting – Computer-Mediated Communication. The cabinet sponsored legislation to define computer-mediated communication as any form of communication (except electronic mail) between two or more individuals who interact and/or influence each other via separate computers through the Internet or a network connection using social software. Further, the legislation specifies that an institution may not initiate computer mediated communication with a prospective student-athlete prior to September 1 of the prospect’s junior year of high school and that such communication is limited to the hours of 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The time periods apply to the prospect’s location at the time the communication is sent. With the development of technological advances in communication methods and the availability of various electronic communication devices, the use of such technology in the recruiting process has increased exponentially. Given the additional intrusion factor this technology adds to the lives of prospects, appropriate limitations should be established in order to balance the intrusive nature of such communications with the value of computer-mediated communication in the recruiting process.

h. Bylaw 13.1.8.12 – Recruiting Limitations on Number of Evaluations – Evaluation Days – Women’s Volleyball. The cabinet sponsored legislation to require, in women’s volleyball, the observation of high school volleyball competition to count toward the permissible 80-evaluation days. This change was recommended by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The proposal will eliminate the advantage that metropolitan areas have over rural areas regarding the availability of competition and will promote competitive equity for those programs that have budget restraints and staff limitations.

i. Bylaw 13.4.1 – Recruiting – Recruiting Materials – Institutional Note Cards. The cabinet sponsored legislation to specify that institutional note cards that are provided to prospects must be rectangular or square and may not exceed 8 1/2” x 11” when unfolded. In addition, the printed note cards may only contain the institution’s name and logo or an athletics logo and must be blank inside. Concerns have been raised by the membership regarding a shift from the traditional institutional note card to items that are much larger and more elaborate. A consistent standard will simplify the legislation and reduce the amount of interpretive issues regarding recruiting correspondence.

j. Bylaw 13.4.4.1.2 – Recruiting – Interviews with Scouting Services. The cabinet sponsored legislation to eliminate the prohibition on institutional coaching staff members providing interviews to recruiting publications. With advancements in technology and the availability of information through various media, the restriction precluding coaches from providing interviews to recruiting or scouting services has become archaic. The prohibition was adopted to limit the recruiting advantage of institutions whose coaching staff members regularly participated in interviews with publications that report on the athletics activities of prospects. Because of advanced communication technologies, all coaches will have similar opportunities to provide interviews. Further, many recruiting publications have merged with other media entities, making it increasingly difficult to discern between media entities and recruiting publications.

k. Bylaws 13.6 and 13.7 – Recruiting – Unofficial or Official Visits – Professional Combine or Workout Activities. The cabinet sponsored legislation to preclude prospective student-athletes from attending events in which professional tryout or workout activities occur during any official or unofficial visit to an institution’s campus. Institutions that host professional tryout events and use the activity as an entertainment opportunity for prospective student-athletes gain an unfair recruiting advantage. Although it is permissible for institutions to host professional combines or workouts on their campuses, such activities are not relevant to prospects’ official or unofficial visits.

l. Bylaw 30.11.4 – Administrative Regulations – Recruiting Calendars – Softball. The cabinet sponsored legislation to revise the softball recruiting calendar to permit contact only (no evaluation) during the fall contact period, except that evaluations would be permitted from the second Friday in October through the first Sunday in November. For those states with fall softball seasons, high school evaluations would still be permissible in the fall except during dead periods. An increase in recruitment during the fall contact period has minimized the importance of the scholastic environment and the role of the scholastic administrators in the recruiting process. This proposal is designed to emphasize the importance of the scholastic environment and decrease the impact of nonscholastic external influences in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes during the academic year. Evaluations will remain permissible during a limited portion of the fall contact period in order to provide necessary evaluation opportunities. In addition, limiting evaluations during the fall contact period would allow institutional coaching staff members to spend more time on campus with current student-athletes.

m. Bylaw 30.11.8 – Administrative Regulations – Recruiting Calendars – Women’s Lacrosse. The cabinet sponsored legislation to revise the women’s lacrosse recruiting calendar to permit coaches to evaluate prospects at one event conducted during the weekend of the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship, provided~~NLI~~ the event is conducted within a 100-mile radius of the site of the women’s lacrosse championship. It has been a traditional occurrence for women’s lacrosse coaches to recruit at events conducted during the Memorial Day weekend. Recently, the dates for the women’s lacrosse championship have changed to the Memorial Day weekend. Consequently, the dead period surrounding the championship prevents college coaches from attending traditional events that are considered to be significant to the sport. Adjusting the recruiting calendar to permit coaches to attend such events supports both the NCAA Championship and the sport’s traditions.

n. Bylaw 14.01.3 – Eligibility – Compliance with other NCAA and Conference Legislation. The cabinet sponsored legislation to specify that violations of Bylaw 14.01.3 that only relate to a violation of a conference rule do not affect the involved student-athlete’s NCAA eligibility. Such violations will still be considered institutional violations and must be reported to the NCAA, but the institution will not be required to declare the student-athlete ineligible and seek reinstatement of his or her eligibility. Currently, in a case in which a student-athlete is involved in a violation of a conference eligibility rule, the institution must reinstatement his or her NCAA eligibility even though no violation of NCAA legislation has occurred, other than by the fact that the violation of the conference rule occurred. In these cases, a conference office is in a better position to assess whether a violation of its own rules should affect eligibility and if so, what the appropriate conditions for reinstatement should be.

o. Bylaw 14.3.1.2.1 – Eligibility – Freshman Academic Requirements – Core-Curriculum Time Limitation. The cabinet sponsored legislation to specify that a prospective student-athlete must complete his or her core-curriculum requirements not later than the high school graduation date of the prospect’s class [as determined by the first year of enrollment in high school (ninth grade) or the international equivalent as specified in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility]; however, if the prospect graduated from high school within the core-curriculum time limitation, he or she may use one core course completed in the year following graduation (summer or academic year), but not later than the end of the academic year immediately following the high school graduation date of the prospect’s class. A prospective student-athlete may not use this exception if he or she receives athletically related financial aid during the summer immediately following the high school graduation date of the student-athlete’s class. The current legislation allows and, in some cases, encourages a prospective student-athlete to purposefully delay high school graduation to meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements. This is not a sound academic practice. This proposal promotes timely high school graduation by requiring that core courses be completed within the normal high school timeframe (e.g., in a student’s first eight semesters or 12 quarters). The proposal also encourages timely high school graduation by permitting students to earn one core course in the summer or academic year immediately following timely graduation. If a prospective student-athlete uses this limited exception to the core-curriculum time limitation, he or she would be immediately eligible on certification that all initial-eligibility requirements are met. A student-athlete who uses the exception to the core-curriculum time limitation will be able to complete the additional core course at any high school that is recognized by the NCAA (not limited to the high school from which he or she graduated). There will continue to be legitimate instances in which a student does not or cannot graduate from high school within the normal timeframe. The initial-eligibility waiver process will provide a mechanism to review such cases and waive this requirement when circumstances warrant an exception.

p. Bylaw 14.1.10.2 – Eligibility – Eligibility for Postseason Competition – Between Terms. The cabinet sponsored legislation to specify that a student-athlete who in his or her final season of competition in the applicable sport and (a) is enrolled in less than a minimum full-time program of studies pursuant to Bylaws 14.1.8.2.1.3 or 14.1.8.2.1.4, but is enrolled in at least six hours, shall have satisfactorily completed six semester or six quarter hours of academic credit during the preceding regular academic term in order to be eligible to participate in postseason competition occurring between terms; or (b) is enrolled in less than six hours pursuant to Bylaws 14.1.8.2.1.3 or 14.1.8.2.1.4, shall have satisfactorily completed the number of semester or quarter hours of academic credit in which he or she was enrolled during the preceding regular academic term in order to be eligible to participate in postseason competition occurring between terms. Currently, Bylaw 14.1.10.2 only requires that a student-athlete who is enrolled as a full-time student in his or her final season of competition successfully complete six semester or six quarter hours of academic credit during the preceding regular academic term in order to be eligible to participate in postseason competition occurring between terms. A student-athlete who is enrolled in less than a full-time program of studies pursuant to Bylaws 14.1.8.2.1.3 or 14.1.8.2.1.4 is not subject to the rule. Therefore, a student-athlete who is enrolled in less than a full-time program of studies during his or her final season of competition may participate in a postseason event, even if he or she fails the courses in which he or she is enrolled. Student-athletes who are in their final year of competition and are using an exception to full-time enrollment should be required to pass at least six hours or the hours in which they are enrolled in order to be eligible for postseason competition. This proposal is consistent with the overall intent of academic reform and the principle that all student-athletes should be secure in the knowledge that they are competing against other student-athletes who are truly students, even those who enrolled in less than a full-time program of studies during their final year of eligibility.

q. Bylaw 14.5.5.5 – Eligibility – Four-Year College Transfers – Eligibility for Institutional Athletically Related Financial Aid and Bylaw 14.5.6 -- 4-2-4 College Transfer. The cabinet sponsored legislation to require a student-athlete who transfers from a four-year institution to a two-year institution and then to the certifying Division I institution to complete at least one regular academic term of enrollment at the two-year institution in order to be eligible for athletically related financial aid on transferring to the Division I institution. With the adoption of Proposal No. 2005-171, a student-athlete seeking to transfer from one four-year institution to another must have been academically eligible for competition for the next academic term at the previous four-year institution in order to be eligible to receive institutional athletically related financial aid at the certifying institution. However, with further review of the application of this proposal, it has become apparent that a student-athlete could circumvent the legislation by enrolling in a two-year institution for a brief period of time (e.g., two days) prior to transferring to the certifying institution. The proposal would remove this “loophole” by requiring a student-athlete to attend a two-year institution for at least one regular academic term to be eligible for institutional athletically related financial aid at the certifying institution.

r. Financial Aid – Room and Board – Training-Table Meals – Exception – One Training-Table Meal Per Day During the Championship Segment. The cabinet sponsored legislation to allow an institution, during the championship segment of the playing and practice season in each sport, to provide one training-table meal per day to student-athletes without the provision of the meal being considered financial aid. Training-table meals have always been a component of the element of board in a grant-in-aid. This proposal establishes a limited and narrow exception to the financial aid rules related to triggering counter status and institutional limitations on financial aid. Requiring walk-on student-athletes or student-athletes on partial scholarships to pay for training-table meals stigmatizes them and makes them feel like they are not valued members of their teams. On the contrary, such student-athletes provide significant contributions to their teams and should be allowed to receive this limited benefit without triggering the application of various financial aid regulations. In addition, a significant administrative burden is involved when walk-on student-athletes and student-athletes on partial scholarships are required to pay for a training-table meal or demonstrate that they previously paid for the same meal, but were forced to miss it due to practice activities. This proposal supports deregulation efforts by simplifying such situations. Finally, this proposal supports the principle of student-athlete well-being in a fair and flexible manner.

2. Nonlegislative.

a. Review of the Cabinet’s Strategic Plan and the Association-Wide Strategic Plan. The cabinet continued a review of its strategic plan with the goal of realigning it with the Association-wide strategic plan. All the subcommittees of the cabinet reviewed the Association’s strategic plan and identified the three to five year goals for which the cabinet can have a direct impact. Based on those goals, the subcommittees identified ways that the cabinet’s strategic plan can be revised in order to achieve the desired outcomes. The cabinet’s plan will be revised and presented to the cabinet at its September meeting.

b. Prize Money Prior to Full-Time Collegiate Enrollment – Coaching and Instruction Fees and Expenses as Actual and Necessary Expenses. The cabinet received a report from the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Agents/Amateurism regarding its discussion of coaching fees and a coach’s expenses related to the receipt of prize money prior to initial, full-time collegiate enrollment. The subcommittee recommends that the NCAA Division I Legislative Review/Interpretations Committee issue an official interpretation to specify that it is not permissible to include coaching fees and a coach’s actual and necessary expenses in the calculation of determining a prospect’s actual and necessary expenses for purposes of applying the prize money exception in Bylaw 12.1.1.4.1. The subcommittee believes that such expenses are not incidental to a prospective-student-athlete’s participation in open events.

c. Student-Athlete Establishing His or Her Own Business. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Agents and Amateurism regarding a referral from the Legislative Review/Interpretations Committee related to a student-athlete owning his or her own business and the application of applicable amateurism legislation. The subcommittee requests that the Legislative Review/Interpretations Committee issue an official interpretation to specify that a student-athlete may establish his or her own business, provided the student-athlete’s name, photograph, or appearance are not used to promote such a business.

d. Review of Promotional and Endorsement Issues Involving Student-Athletes. The Subcommittee on Agents/Amateurism received presentations from several Division I student-athletes, representatives from NCAA, institutional corporate partners and NCAA staff related to the use of a student-athlete’s name, picture or appearance in institutional, charitable, educational or nonprofit promotional activities. While technological developments have increased the opportunities for multimedia promotions, NCAA legislation related to promotional activities involving current student-athlete’s name, picture or appearance was developed prior too many of these multimedia advances. As a result, the subcommittee discussed amending the legislation be updated to address all or some of the following:

(1) The primary purpose of promotional activities should focus on promoting the core values of intercollegiate athletics. Some members of the subcommittee believe that the core values are inherent within the legislation when it requires the support of charitable or educational activities or activities considered incidental to the student-athlete’s participation in intercollegiate athletics. Other members of the subcommittee believe that those core values should be specifically defined within the legislation;

(2) A commercial product or service should not be used or shown in conjunction with the promotional activity;

(3) The promotion should include no more than one of the sponsoring company’s officially registered trademark or logo; and

(4) The commercial sponsor’s trademark or logo may not be visibly larger than the institutional, charitable, educational or nonprofit entities trademark or logo.

As a result, the subcommittee has agreed to gather information and feedback on these concepts and further discuss this issue at the September meeting for possible legislative recommendations.

e. Initial-Eligibility Waiver Approvals. The cabinet received a report from the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Initial-Eligibility Issues describing its examination of research related to initial-eligibility waiver approvals, particularly for those student-athletes whose academic profile was below the current sliding scale. In addition, the subcommittee reviewed data regarding credit-hour attainment, grade-point average and degree completion for student-athletes who received initial-eligibility waivers. While the data did not support any specific policy changes in the manner in which waivers are reviewed and processed, the information may be used as a tool in analyzing waiver requests. A more detailed review of the academic profile of these student-athletes and their academic success will be helpful in providing direction to the staff and the Initial-Eligibility Waivers Committee regarding initial-eligibility waiver decisions. The subcommittee discussed the development of a tool to analyze the potential collegiate academic success of student-athletes whose eligibility is being evaluated through the initial-eligibility waiver process. A similar analysis is used in progress-toward-degree waivers. Such an analysis could provide useful information regarding the first-year success rates of student-athletes who present particular initial-eligibility profiles. The subcommittee requested that the NCAA research staff develop grade-point-average and test-score grids to predict first-year outcomes and graduation rates. These models would be one of many variables that would be examined in the initial-eligibility decision-making process.

f. Academic Performance of Student-Athletes in Season and Out of Season. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Initial-Eligibility Issues related to its review of preliminary data regarding the academic performance of student-athletes while they are in season and out of season. In general, the data showed that male student-athletes did not perform as well while in season and female student-athletes performed similarly in season and out of season. The NCAA research staff will continue to explore this issue and will release a full report in the future.

g. Home-Schooled Student-Athletes. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Initial-Eligibility Issues regarding the academic performance of student-athletes who were home-schooled as prospects. In September 2003, the cabinet approved a change to the home-school procedures to allow the clearinghouse to evaluate all home-school credentials. At the February 2006 cabinet meeting, concern was raised regarding potential abuses in home-school certifications. The subcommittee reviewed data that showed home-schooled student-athletes are performing at a high academic level. In addition, the subcommittee was informed that if any irregularities appear in a home-schooled credential, that situation would be reviewed through the student-review process recently approved by the Board of Directors.

h. Nonqualifiers and Extensions of the Five-Year Period of Eligibility. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Initial-Eligibility Issues and the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Continuing Eligibility regarding their review of the current five-year period of eligibility-extension waivers and its application to nonqualifiers who have regained a fourth season of eligibility pursuant to Bylaw 14.3.3.1 and have only one denied participation opportunity. The subcommittees agreed that the legislation in this area should remain unchanged in order to maintain consistency with the application of the initial-eligibility, progress-toward-degree and extension legislation among qualifiers and nonqualifiers. In addition, the subcommittees reiterated that a student’s inability to participate due to his or her nonqualifier status is a circumstance that is within his or her control.

i. Exceptions to Outside Competition Legislation. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Continuing Eligibility describing its review of a request from the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IMLCA) to add the Minto Cup Championships, which represents the conclusion of the Canadian Box Lacrosse League season, to the list of exceptions to outside competition regulations in Bylaw 14.7.3. The subcommittee did not support such a change due to the small number of student-athletes affected (e.g., four to six per year). Concerns were also raised about class time missed by the student-athletes participating in this event. The NCAA Division I Management Council Administrative Review Subcommittee waiver process continues to be available in this and other similar situations.

j. Credit-Hour Requirements for Student-Athletes Enrolled in Post-baccalaureate or Graduate Programs. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Continuing Eligibility concerning its review of credit-hour requirements for student-athletes enrolled in second baccalaureate degree or graduate programs. The subcommittee believes that credit hours used by student-athletes to satisfy the six-hour requirement must be degree-applicable and requested that the Legislative Review/Interpretations Committee consider issuing an official interpretation to specify such a requirement. In addition, the subcommittee requested that the Legislative Review/Interpretations Committee issue an official interpretation to specify that an institution is permitted to certify the eligibility of a nondegree seeking graduate student who is pursuing enrollment into a specific graduate-degree program and that such a graduate student may use credits that would apply to any graduate-degree program offered by the certifying institution in order to satisfy the completion of six semester or quarter hours of academic credit during each regular academic term of full-time enrollment.

k. Application of Proposal No. 2005-171 – Four-Year College Transfers – Eligibility for Institutional Athletically Related Financial Aid. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Continuing Eligibility concerning its review of the application of Proposal No. 2005-171. The proposal specifies that a student-athlete who was not academically eligible for competition at the previous four-year institution may not receive institutional athletically related financial aid during his or her first academic year of enrollment at the certifying institution. A transfer student-athlete who was academically eligible for competition but who may not be eligible for other reasons (e.g., failed drug test, disciplinary suspension) would be eligible for athletically related financial aid at the new institution. The subcommittee determined that the intent of the proposal was academic in nature and that proposing new legislation to specify that a student-athlete must be eligible according to nonacademic standards in order to receive athletically related financial aid at the certifying institution did not seem appropriate. The subcommittee referred the specific issue of extending theapplication of ineligibility for athletics aid to those student-athletes who may be ineligible for competition because of a positive drug-test to the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports.

l. Bylaw 16.5.2 – Meals in Conjunction with Competition. The cabinet recommends that the NCAA Division I Championship/Competition Cabinet consider sponsoring legislation to allow institutions to provide meals to student-athletes in conjunction with away-from-home competitions in a manner similar to the current legislation regarding the provision of meals in conjunction with home competitions. In the spirit of deregulation and simplification, the legislation governing the provision of meals in conjunction with competition should be consistent. An institution should be permitted to provide meals to its student-athletes at its discretion in both instances. Even though an institution would have discretion in providing meals, the institution’s budget will not be significantly affected since it already provides meals or allowances for meals during away-from-home competition.

m. Training-Table Meals Legislation. The cabinet received a report from the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Financial Aid regarding its review of an editorial revision (ER-2006-14) that is intended to clarify that training-table meals must be treated as part of the element of board pursuant to financial aid legislation and that such meals must be deducted or charged accordingly.

n. Cash in Lieu of Meals in Conjunction with Away-From-Home Competition. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Financial Aid regarding its review of a survey that has been developed to explore issues related to the provision of cash allowances in lieu of meals in conjunction with away-from-home competition. Suggested changes and additions will be made to the survey instrument. The subcommittee recommended this issue be discussed by the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Once finalized, the survey will be distributed to student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

o. Financial Aid Forum in Conjunction with a Future Cabinet Meeting. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Financial Aid regarding a plan to hold a financial aid forum in conjunction with a future cabinet meeting. The intent of the forum is to increase opportunities for input from various constituencies for more informed decision-making and to encourage a spirit of cooperation with the general financial aid community. Participants will discuss various current issues related to financial aid and possible ways to increase communication and cooperation among various financial aid constituencies.

p. Academic Competitiveness Grant and the National Science and Mathematics to Retain Talent Grant. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Financial Aid regarding its review of two new federal grants, the Academic Competitiveness Grant and the National Science and Mathematics to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant), that will be available to Pell Grant eligible students beginning with the 2006-07 academic year. The subcommittee agreed that, per current NCAA legislation and federal financial aid guidelines, the grants cannot be exempted from a student-athlete’s cost of attendance limitation. However, the subcommittee noted that the grants are not institutional aid and, therefore, would not be countable aid toward equivalency computations or team limits.

q. Degree-Completion Programs/Incentive Programs under the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Financial Aid concerning its review of issues related to the limitation on providing institutional unearned athletically related financial aid to student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and have received five years of aid or are outside the six-year period since initial enrollment, but are seeking to complete their degrees. The subcommittee recommends that the NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance consider establishing an incentive program to reward institutions with ability to award degree-completion grants to former student-athletes in such situations. In addition, the subcommittee will continue to explore possible legislative changes to allow institutions more flexibility to provide unearned financial aid or a combination of earned and unearned aid under limited circumstances in order to complete their degrees. Additional information will be developed and reviewed. Feedback will be sought from various constituencies, including SAAC.

r. Institutional Sports Camps and Clinics. The cabinet received a report from the NCAA Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet Subcommittee on Recruiting regarding the practice of relocating institutional sports camps and clinics to locations outside of the vicinity of the institution and whether the practice is for reasons unrelated to the recruitment of prospective student-athletes. The subcommittee reviewed the feedback it received from on this issue and agreed a change in the legislation is neither necessary nor appropriate at this time.

s. Telephone Calls to Prospects during the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Recruiting concerning a referral from the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Issues Committee. The committee is recommending legislation to preclude institutional coaching staff members from making telephone calls to prospective student-athletes until the Thursday following the conclusion of the women’s basketball championship. The subcommittee agreed to support this recommendation. Concern has been expressed that coaches are either leaving the Women’s Final Four or failing to attend associated Women’s Final Four events so they can call prospective student-athletes starting on April 1. Coaches feel pressure to make these phone calls at the earliest permissible opportunity so they do not fall behind their colleagues in the recruiting process. These coaches feel they are placed in an awkward situation of either participating in the Women’s Final Four activities or engaging in this important recruiting activity. By precluding telephone calls in April until the Thursday after the conclusion of the Women’s Final Four, coaches would be allowed to celebrate their sport by attending all of the associated activities and still have adequate time in the month of April to place phone calls to prospects.

t. Basketball Event Certification Criteria. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Recruiting related to its review of a referral from the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Issues Committees recommending legislation to amend Bylaws 30.16 and 30.17 for basketball event certification criteria in men’s and women’s basketball to include the following:

(1) Require qualified medical personnel (e.g., certified athletic trainers) to be present at an event;

(2) Preclude athletically related activities from beginning before 8 a.m. on a given day and to require the last athletically related activity begin not later than 10 p.m.;

(3) Limit prospects to participating in not more than five games over a rolling two-day period with not more than three games on any given day; and

(4) Require that the price of event packets, sold on-site by event operators, must be listed on the application and that coaches must be made aware of the price prior to arrival at an event.

Concern has been expressed regarding the health and safety of prospective student-athletes participating in certified events. Specifically, concern has been noted regarding the need for adequate medical supervision to attend to potential medical injuries and illnesses that may arise as a result of participation in such events. Compounding the situation, some certified events have athletically related activities scheduled from very early in the morning until very late at night, sometimes lasting until after midnight, and prospects are frequently required to participate in multiple contests per day as part of the event. Accordingly, this recommendation is intended to address concerns about the well-being of prospective student-athletes by ensuring the presence of appropriate medicalpersonnel, that prospects are competing at a reasonable hour of the day and that they have adequate rest over the course of multiple contests. Based on this information, the subcommittee would support such a recommendation.

u. Revision of Division I Men’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Recruiting concerning a recommendation of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to the Championships/ Competition Cabinet to sponsor legislation to expand the dead period following the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship from noon on Tuesday after the championship game until noon on Thursday after the championship game. Concern was expressed by the NABC that the current recruiting calendar encourages coaches to leave the NCAA Final Four prior to the conclusion of the championship game to begin traveling in preparation for recruiting activities. Coaches feel pressure to depart the site on Monday (sometimes Sunday) in order to engage in important recruiting activities that precede the National Letter of Intent (NLI) signing date. Coaches should not be placed in such a predicament. An expansion of the dead period until noon on Thursday after the championship game would allow coaches the ability to celebrate their sport by attending the full championship activities and provide an ample time period to conduct necessary last-minute recruiting contacts.

v. Coaches’ Attendance at Softball Events in which Teams Play More than Three Contests per Day. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Recruiting concerning its review of a recommendation from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) to preclude Division I coaches from evaluating at an event in which the original schedule requires participating teams to play in more than three contests in a single day. The subcommittee discussed the issue and concluded that there was insufficient information on which to make a recommendation at this time. The subcommittee requested that the staff contact the association to request additional data to be reviewed at the subcommittee’s September meeting.

w. Verbal Offers of Financial Aid Prior to a Prospect’s Senior Year. The cabinet received a report from the Subcommittee on Recruiting related to the practice of offering athletically related financial aid to a prospect prior to the prospect’s senior year in high school with a view toward recommending the cabinet sponsor legislation to preclude the practice. The subcommittee noted a membership group has been appointed to review this issue and that the group is in the process of soliciting feedback from various constituents on this issue.

x. Review and Approval of NCAA Compliance Forms.