MINUTES OF THE

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

DIVISION III INTERPRETATIONS AND LEGISLATION COMMITTEE

 

Indianapolis, Indiana                                                                                                  June 23-24, 2003

 

 

 

Participants:

 

Victoria Chun, New York State College Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association

Travis Feezell, Whitman College

Timothy Gleason, Ohio Athletic Conference

Gary Karner, Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Julie Katz, Vassar College

Garnett Purnell, Wittenburg University, chair

Sandra Slabik, Neumann College

Charlie Wilson, Olivet College

Bridget Belgiovine, NCAA

Daniel Dutcher, NCAA

Bo Kerin, NCAA

Leah Nilsson, NCAA, recording secretary

 

 

[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.]

 

 

Monday, June 23

 

The meeting was called to order at 8:05 a.m. Central time by the chair, Mr. Purnell.  All members were present as noted above.

 

 

1.            Welcome and Announcements.  There were no announcements.

 

 

2.            Committee Roster.  The committee reviewed the current committee roster and noted that all information is correct.


3.            Approval of Previous Minutes.  The committee reviewed the minutes of its May 14 teleconference.

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the May 14, 2003, teleconference minutes be approved as written.”

 

 

4.            Review Interpretations Issued during May 14 Teleconference.  The following interpretations were approved via e-mail following the May 14 teleconference and are presented here as a matter of record.

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the Division III Management Council approve the following interpretations:

 

a.   Admissions Office Announcement (III).  The provisions of NCAA Bylaw 13.11.7 (announcement of acceptance) do not apply to admissions office announcements of all prospective students who will attend the institution, regardless of whether the paid acceptance of an institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid has been received, provided the prospective students identified in the announcement are not identified as prospective student-athletes, and the institution's athletics department is not involved in arranging the publicity.  [Reference:  Bylaw 13.11.7]

 

b.   Preseason Football Practice Formula Exemptions (III).  If an institution has an official policy that precludes any athletics or other extracurricular activities from occurring on Sunday, the institution may exclude Sundays prior to the first day of class from counting in the preseason practice formula to determine the first permissible practice date in football. [Reference:  Bylaw 17.11.2.1.1]”

 

 

5.      Club Participation and Use of a Season of Competition. The committee reviewed Bylaws 14.02.6, 14.2.4.1 and a March 9, 1987, Item 4, official interpretation in relation to a student-athlete using a season of competition for participation on a club team.  NCAA rules require an institution to charge the student-athlete with a season of competition in such cases when the team’s participation meets the definition of intercollegiate competition and the institution also sponsors the sport at the varsity level.  Because it appears that many institutions are not aware of this interpretation, and in an effort to ensure equitable treatment of student-athletes at different institutions, the committee agreed the interpretation should be incorporated.


It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council sponsor legislation to incorporate the March 19, 1987, official interpretation, institution's club team -- Case No. 291.”

 

 

6.      Medical Examinations during Campus Visit.  The committee reviewed Bylaw 13.12.2.5 (medical examinations) and subsections for possible modification or elimination.  Specifically, the group considered whether such examinations actually occur in Division III.  The group agreed to eliminate Bylaw 13.12.2.5.1 because Division III institutions generally do not administer medical exams on official and unofficial visits, and also to modify 13.12.2.5.2 to remove the reference to the National Letter of Intent (NLI).

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council sponsor legislation to eliminate Bylaw 13.12.2.5.1 and modify 13.12.2.5.2 to remove reference to the NLI.” 

 

 

7.      Employment of Prospects at Institutional Sports Camps.  The committee reviewed Bylaws 13.2.4.1 and 13.13.1.4 and the employment of prospective student-athletes in an institutional sports camp.  The institution requesting the legislative review argued that a prospective student-athlete may be employed on an institution’s campus and the institution may arrange such employment provided it does not begin prior to completion of the prospect’s senior year in high school.  An institution argued that prospects should also be able to work at an institution’s camp prior to enrollment.  The committee agreed to recommend legislation to allow prospects to be employed at an institution’s sports camp, provided the camp occurs after the prospect’s high school graduation and paid acceptance of the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid. This proposal shall have an immediate effective date.

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council sponsor legislation to permit prospective student-athletes to be employed at institutional sports camps after the prospect’s high school graduation and paid acceptance of the institution’s written offer of admission and/or financial aid.”

 

 

 

 


8.      Two-Year College-Transfer Requirements and Exhausted Junior-College Eligibility.  The committee reviewed Bylaw 14.5.4.1 (two-year college transfer requirements) and situations in which two-year college prospective student-athletes exhaust eligibility prior to transferring to a Division III institution.  Currently, Division III legislation requires a student-athlete that transfers from a two-year college to have been academically and athletically eligible at the two-year college in order to be immediately eligible on transfer to a Division III institution.  As a result, student-athletes who participate in two seasons of competition at the two-year college exhaust eligibility and, therefore, are no longer athletically eligible to participate.

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council sponsor legislation to modify Bylaw 14.5.4.1 to clarify that student-athletes with exhausted junior college athletics ability are permitted to use the transfer exception if that student-athlete was otherwise academically and athletically eligible for competition at the junior college.”

 

 

9.      Outside Competition Regulations for National Collegiate Championship Sports.  The committee reviewed Bylaws 14.7.1, 17._.8.1.1, and 17._.11.1.1 in reference to participation in the National Collegiate Championships.  NCAA regulations pertaining to outside competition for National Collegiate Championships and NCAA championship sports are not the same. This difference is reflected in Bylaw 17, but was not reflected in Bylaw14.7.1 (outside competition, sports other than basketball).

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council sponsor legislation to amend Bylaw 14.7.1 to reflect the outside competition regulations for national collegiate championship sports.”

 

 

10.    Eligibility standards and good academic standing.  The committee discussed Division III eligibility standards and the definition of good academic standing.  Specifically, the committee discussed institutional autonomy in interpreting and applying good academic standing at the institution.  It was the sense of the committee that not all institutions understand the application of Bylaw 14.01.2.1, thus a legislative assistance column will be issued on this topic.  The column will include a question and answer section.

 

 


11.    Review and Consider Division I Proposals for Possible Sponsorship in Division III. The committee reviewed recently adopted Division I proposals with Division III relevance. After considering the merits of each proposal, the committee agreed to recommend sponsorship of eight proposals.

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council sponsor legislation to adopt the concepts from the following Division I proposals:  2002-46-1, 2002-49, 2002-64, 2002-65, 2002-73, 2003-1, 2003-2 and 2002-29 (amended to include baseball).

 

 

12.    Review and Consider Official Interpretations for Possible Incorporation into Division III Manual.  The committee reviewed official interpretations issued between April 1, 2002, and June 1, 2003, and agreed to recommend incorporation of three interpretations.

 

It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council incorporate the following interpretations:

 

a.   Football – strength and conditioning activities during the nontraditional segment (III), 2/27/03 official interpretation, item 3. 

 

b.   Running pass patters/drills during football strength and conditioning training sessions (III), 2/22/02 official interpretation, item 4-(f).

 

c.   Academic year-in-residence requirement is sport-specific (III), 4/22/02 official interpretations, item 4-(f).”

 

 

13.    Finalize Deregulation of Bylaw 12.  The committee reviewed the Bylaw 12 deregulation package it formulated during its January 2003 in-person meeting. The committee supported five deregulation concepts and agreed to add a chart to Bylaw 12 to illustrate the permissibility of pre and post enrollment activities related to amateurism.

 

   It was VOTED

 

“That the Management Council sponsor legislation to:

 

a.       Amend Bylaw 12.4.1 and remove Bylaws 12.4.1.1 and 12.4.1.2 to streamline employment legislation and treat all types of employment in a similar manner;


b.      Amend Bylaw 12.5.1.1 and eliminate Bylaw 12.5.1.1.1 to remove the 100-mile radius restriction related to promotional activities;

 

c.       Eliminate Bylaws 12.3.4.1 and 12.3.4.2 to grant institutional autonomy to campuses for the appointment and composition of professional sports counseling panels;

 

d.      Permit institutions to receive donations from professional sports organizations for institutional fundraisers.

 

e.       Permit individuals to engage in modeling and nonathletically related promotional activities subsequent to full-time enrollment.”

 

[Note:  The meeting recessed at 3:05 p.m.]

 

 

Tuesday, June 24

 

The meeting was called to order at 8:10 a.m.  All were present as previously indicated except for Bo Kerin.

 

 

14.    Review Division III Strategic Planning Priorities.  The committee reviewed the Division III strategic planning priorities, particularity the items relevant to legislation and interpretations.  This review served as a guide to update the committee operations plan.

 

 

15.    Review Committee Operations Plan.  The committee reviewed and updated its committee operations plan.  With the completion of the scheduled deregulation project, the committee scheduled future legislative reviews of Bylaws 12-17, 31 and 32 to further streamline the manual.  Also, the committee will review modules from compliance assistance software for the Internet in an effort to ensure the software is relevant and user friendly for Division III institutions.

 

 

16.    Interpretive philosophy.  The committee reviewed the recent memorandum sent by NCAA president, Dr. Myles Brand, and discussed its application to the work of ILC.  The committee felt that its decisions were already being made with student-athlete welfare as a priority.  The committee also determined that while it will be guided by student-athlete friendly philosophy, a retroactive review of the work of the committee is not necessary.


17.    Election of New Chair.  Mr. Feezell was selected as chair-elect to succeed Mr. Purnell.  Mr. Feezell’s term will begin at the close of the 2004 NCAA Convention.

 

 

18.    Future Meetings for 2003-04 (in-person Meetings and Teleconferences).  The committee agreed to meet the following dates:

 

a.       August 6, 2003; via teleconference noon Eastern time.

 

b.       September 3, 2003; via teleconference noon. Eastern time.

 

c.       October 6, 2003; via teleconference noon Eastern time.

 

d.       November 3, 2003; via teleconference noon Eastern time.

 

e.       December 3, 2003; via teleconference noon Eastern time.

 

f.        January 7, 2003; via teleconference noon Eastern time.

 

g.       February 5-6, 2004; New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

 

19.    Adjournment.  The meeting adjourned at 11:55 a.m.

 

 

 

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