MINUTES
OF THE
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Gaylord Palms January 8, 2007
Participants:
Michael
Adams,
Charles
Ambrose,
Philip
Austin,
David Brunk, Northeast-10 Conference
Dan Curran,
Valerie Cushman,
Robert Fisher,
John Fry,
Walter Harrison,
Kate Hickey,
Martin Jischke,
Eddie Moore,
Michael McFarland, College of the Holy Cross
Sydney McPhee,
Ivory Nelson,
Steve Weber,
John Welty,
Myles Brand, NCAA
Bernard Franklin, NCAA
Delise O'Meally, NCAA, recording secretary
Also in attendance were: Gary Brown, director of The NCAA News; Elsa Cole, NCAA general counsel; Joni Comstock, senior vice president for championships/senior woman administrator; Dennis Cryder, senior vice president for branding and communications; Greg Shaheen, senior vice president for basketball and business strategies; Jim Isch, senior vice president for administration/chief financial officer (CFO); John Johnson, director of promotions and events; Kevin Lennon, vice president for membership services; Keith Martin, managing director of finance and operations; Wallace Renfro, senior advisor to the NCAA president; Charlotte Westerhaus, vice president for diversity and inclusion; Bob Williams, managing director of public and media relations; Charles Wynne, director of communications strategy; David Berst, Daniel Dutcher and Mike Racy, NCAA governance vice presidents; and Beth DeBauche, Leah Nilsson, and Terri Steeb, NCAA governance directors.
[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken
(formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting") in accordance with
NCAA policy regarding minutes of all Association entities. While certain items on the
Committee’s agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting,
all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for
convenience of reference.]
The meeting was called to order at 5:40 p.m. by the chair, President Harrison. All members were present as noted above.
1. Welcome
and announcements.
2. Approval of October 26, 2006, meeting minutes.
It was VOTED
“To approve the Executive Committee minutes of the October 26, 2006, meeting as distributed.”
3. NCAA President’s report. President Brand provided updates, discussed a series of initiatives and sought Executive Committee input.
b. Report of the Reformatted Executive Committee Working Group on Membership. The Committee received an update on the formation of an expanded working group to continue discussions on the Association's membership structure related to membership growth. The working group will include representation from all three divisions and will be expanded to include athletics administrators, as well as university presidents. The group will oversee development of models for discussion at the 2008 NCAA Convention, with related voting at the 2009 Convention.
c.
4. NCAA Executive Committee Finance Committee report.
a. Fiscal year 2005-06 audited statements. The Executive Committee reviewed the audited financial statements prepared by KPMG. KPMG issued an unqualified opinion for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2006.
It was VOTED
“To approve the audited financial statements prepared by the audit firm of KPMG.”
b. Recommended uses of unallocated net assets. The Executive Committee reviewed the recommended uses of net unallocated assets.
It was VOTED
“To approve the following uses as recommended:
“(1) $1.4 million
allocated to relocate the NCAA initial eligibility and amateurism clearinghouse
operations to
“(2) $3 million
allocated to explore deployment opportunities of NCAA assets and future
strategies that will protect and enhance the Association’s revenue
streams. The funds will pay for
traditional and new media consultants to chart a course for the Association and
provide helpful information for conferences.
“(3) $1.5 million
allocated to initiatives previously approved for the NCAA basketball
partnership. Inasmuch as the
national office does not encumber funds, approval to carry dollars over to the
new fiscal year is necessary.”
c. First quarter fiscal year 2006-07 budget to actual. The Committee received the financial schedules for the first quarter 2006-07 budget-to-actual.
d. Investment
subcommittee report. The
investment subcommittee of the Finance Committee reviewed the performance of
NCAA investments. The subcommittee interviewed
opportunistic fixed income managers.
The subcommittee believes that the Association can enhance fixed income
returns by the use of non-U.S. dollar bonds. The Committee hired Loomis Sayles to
manage 10 percent of the portfolio and will reduce the allocation of EARNEST
Partners, another fixed income manager, by a like amount.
e. Fiscal year 2007-08 budget process. The Committee reviewed the fiscal year 2007-08 budget process and timeline. The upcoming budget year is the second year of biennium. Therefore, no program expansion initiatives will be considered. Additional dollars will be allocated to cover the escalating cost of current programming.
5. Update on the National Invitation Tournament. The Committee received an update on the pre- and postseason NIT tournaments operated by the NCAA.
6. Life and Work Balance Task Force report. The Committee received a report from the Life and Work Balance Task Force. The task force, chaired by Kent State University president emeritus Carol Cartwright, was charged with exploring the athletics culture and developing strategies to engage the membership in actively promoting an environment that fosters an individual’s opportunity to integrate life and work obligations. The report noted that employees are our biggest investment and most significant assets, and it expressed concern that, if issues related to life and work balance are not addressed in a timely manner, many employees will leave the field of intercollegiate athletics and many more may never enter. Additionally, the task force noted that balance should be defined by the individual rather than the institution. Several recommendations designed to provide greater opportunities for athletics staff to capture more personal time were offered, including establishing effective recruiting boundaries and limiting athletics activity on a particular day during the calendar week. The task force also recommended the development of best practices at the national office and conference office levels. Additionally, it recommended greater integration by athletics departments of campus policies and services that allow individuals to stay committed to their careers but establish personal boundaries to achieve an integrated life balance.
The Committee agreed to refer the recommendations to the appropriate divisional governance bodies and to establish a working group to oversee the implementation.
7. Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA). The Committee received a report from FARA regarding the promotion of systemic change in intercollegiate athletics and the successful realignment of colleges and universities within the collegiate model of athletics. FARA expressed support for the initiatives outlined in the report of the Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I (“The Second Century Imperatives”) and outlined several recommendations designed to strengthen the role of the faculty athletics representative to support these objectives. The Committee supported the initiative taken by the FARA and agreed to refer the issue to the appropriate divisional governance bodies for further action.
8. Report of the Executive Committee working group created to consider the issue of membership eligibility for international institutions. The Committee received a report of the work of the Executive Committee working group on international membership. The working group recommended that the Committee establish a 10-year pilot program that would offer the opportunity for a limited number of Canadian four-year colleges or universities to enter the exploratory period with the opportunity to attain provisional NCAA membership status and advance through the membership process in a specified division. The working group recommended that interested institutions be evaluated on a case-by-case basis not only under current NCAA membership criteria but also as to the positive impact acceptance might have on NCAA student-athletes and member institutions. Such criteria include cultural and educational impact for student-athletes, as well as the opportunity to strengthen existing conferences or provide greater opportunities for regional competition. At the conclusion of the pilot program, a multidivisional working group should be formed to assess the success of the program and determine whether further expansion to include additional Canadian members would be appropriate. Finally, the working group recommended that an overall assessment of the program also should account for potential interest from other countries.
It was VOTED
“To establish a 10-year pilot program to assess the benefits, as well as the challenges, of Canadian membership and to determine how seamlessly Canadian colleges and universities could integrate into the NCAA system. It was noted that, while it endorses this concept from an Association-wide perspective, each division has the authority and autonomy to determine whether to open its membership process to Canadian institutions.”
9. Centennial update. The Committee received an update on the success of the NCAA year-long Centennial celebration. It also received a financial report and commended the staff on maintaining appropriate budgetary parameters.
10. Litigation update. The Committee received a report from the NCAA general counsel regarding litigation and settlement actions.
11. NCAA
Division I
a. Division
I
(1) Approved a two-tier penalty structure for Occasion Two Historical Penalties that will establish financial aid and playing- and practice-season penalties. This two-tiered structure will emphasize academic improvement by applying different penalties to teams that demonstrate improvement than to those that do not.
(2) Tabled a request to consider the establishment of an Academic Performance Program Supplemental Support Fund, which would be funded through reallocation of the increases in the NCAA Division I Academic Enhancement Fund. This matter is expected to be considered by the NCAA Division I Presidential Advisory Group and the Board at the April meetings.
(3) Received a report from the Division I Management Council and adopted 35 of the 97 proposals in the 2006-07 legislative cycle.
b. Division II Presidents Council. The Committee received an update on the actions of the Division II Presidents Council that included the following:
(1) 2007 NCAA Convention. Completed another successful Convention. Eighteen of the 21 Presidents Council-sponsored proposals were overwhelmingly adopted by the membership, including:
(a) Proposal No. 4 (258-0-1), which establishes a uniform membership process for provisional and reclassifying institutions seeking to become active members of Division II.
(b) Proposal No. 5 (255-3-2), which establishes an environment for strategic positioning and community engagement activities.
(c) Proposal No. 8 (130-125-1), which specifies that the financial aid maximum equivalency limits legislation and all its subparts are division-dominant provisions.
(d) Proposal
No. 13 (233-24-0), which permits a student-athlete who is enrolled in a
graduate or professional school or is enrolled and
seeking a second baccalaureate or equivalent degree (at an institution other
than the institution from which he/she previously received a baccalaureate
degree) to participate in intercollegiate athletics, regardless of any previous
transfer, provided the student has eligibility remaining.
(e) The membership soundly defeated (29-117-1) Proposal No. 7, which would have established two football championships classifications in Division II, based on the total number of financial aid equivalencies provided by an institution. It also defeated (127-127-1) Proposal No. 15, which would have required that all coaches be present at each practice. skill instruction, and strength and conditioning session involving student-athletes; be certified in first aid cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillator use; and be familiar with emergency plan activation policies.
(2) Launch of the Division II Strategic Positioning creative look. Used the Convention as a platform for the continual launch of the strategic positioning initiative and the new Division II look – in banners, videos, PowerPoints, public service announcements and various other avenues. The new initiative and the creative look were well-received by the membership.
(3) Management Council representatives. Ratified the appointment of Karen Soto, faculty athletics representative, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, as the new independent representative on the Division II Management Council. Her term is effective immediately and will run until January 2009. Also, she will be eligible for reelection to a full four-year term at that time.
c. Division
(1) Membership. Reviewed the structure of the Division III working group on membership issues. This group will work on the detail level of the membership issues as identified by the Executive Committee's working group on membership issues.
(2) Financial aid reporting process. Received a report of the second year of the financial aid reporting process. The Financial Aid Committee is able engage in more in-depth analysis with a second year of data, and, to date, 20 percent of Division III institutions have undergone a significant review of their financial aid reporting policies and procedures. A key issue to be resolved by the committee is the status of leadership awards based on athletics in financial aid packaging formulas.
(3) Drug education and testing pilot program. Received an update on the Division III drug education and testing pilot program. To date, 115 institutions will be participating in this program to measure both the quality of drug education programs offered in the division, as well as the deterrent effect of drug testing combined with drug education. The pilot study will be conducted between 2007 and 2009.
(4) 2007 NCAA Convention.
(a) Proposal No. 2 would have required one person certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automated external defibrillators, first aid and emergency plan activation policies present at all athletically related activities. This was referred back to the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports based on liability concerns.
(b) Proposal No. 6, which would have regulated the number and frequency of male practice players, was referred back to the Management Council until more information on the use of male practice players could be gathered.
(c) Proposal Nos. 9 and 10 were adopted to address membership growth issues in the short term. Those proposals increase expectations for provisional and active members, respectively.
(d) Proposal No. 11 would have established a cap on the size of the Division III membership. This proposal was withdrawn by the sponsor who asked all institutions to work together to advance the Association wide study of the NCAA's membership issues as an entire organization by the Executive Committee Working Group on Membership.
12. NCAA Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues report.
The Committee received a report from president emeritus Joe Crowley on the work of the NCAA Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee (DLSPC). The Committee charged the Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues with implementing the recommendations from the DLSPC.
Additionally, the Executive Committee reviewed a letter from the Fritz Pollard Alliance regarding opportunities for African American head coaches in collegiate football. The Committee reiterated its commitment to greater diversity in athletics administration and head coaching positions and noted that, while some progress has been made, more needs to be done. It noted that diversity is a core value of the Association, and the NCAA remains committed to fair and open opportunity for all. Also, it affirmed its position that, while specific hiring strategies have been successful in the professional sports realm, the NCAA is not in a position to mandate a similar rule for its membership. Institutions should retain autonomy in their hiring decisions, and athletics departments should use institutional hiring policies and practices that have improved diversity in faculty and administration.
13. NCAA Executive Committee Administrative Subcommittee Report. The Committee received a report on the subcommittee’s action to authorize litigation against a company infringing on the NCAA’s Final Four trademark.
14. Governmental Relations Report. The Committee reviewed an update regarding governmental relations issues relevant to the NCAA.
15. Future meetings. The Committee reviewed its future meetings schedule.
16 Adjournment. President
Harrison presented departing Division III Presidents Council chair Ivory Nelson
with an award for his service to the Executive Committee and adjourned the
meeting at 7:35p.m.
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