Guest editorial Philosophy A Grizzly outcome December X,1995 Volume 32, No. 46 James J. Whalen Eligibility panel Dave Dickenson says the devil is in wants study of leads Montana to 4 the details on 6 Association’s ama- 7 Division I-AA foot- restructuring teurism views ball victory . .I............................................. Official Publication of the National Collegiate Athletic Association TheNCAA News Restructurinn committee Football recruiting supports Prososal No. 7-2 publicity approaches Amendment-to-amendment the components that are currently in place: the acade- mic-enhancement, basketball, conference grant, grants the saturation Doint addresses revenue distribution in-aid, special-assistance and sports-sponsorship funds, plus supplemental and reserve funds intended for dis- The Oversight Committee on the NCAA Membership tribution to the membership. Under the proposal, the BY RONALD D. HOYT ball, fans an off-season “fix.” Structure has agreed to support 1996 NCAA Convention formula for allocating such funds would be as it existed STAFF WRITER The ~~cw-a&incr C-VPI= Proposal No. 7-2, an amendment-to-amendment speci- at the time of the adoption of the legislation. There seems to be lit- -4% age that fying Division I revenue-distribution formulas that would The oversight committee will ask the NCAA Presidents tle doubt that 1 years ago be constitutionally protected in a new NCAA member- Commission and Council at their pre-Convention meet- football is k. merely consist- ;.*= .;&i+-Jf-‘.$>, ship structure. ings in tillaS to join it in supporting No. 7-2. king among r .5-G> _ ed of a list of The action may be important because some Divisions The committee also reaffirmed its previous position American 7 l&L=‘-..- who signed with I-AA and I-AAA members have indicated that they would that Proposal Nos. 74, f-f and 7-8 should be referred to have difficulty supporting the proposed membership the new governance system’s nansition teams for further restructuring plan without the passage of No. 7-2. consideration. “I believe this is another example of how the oversight Those proposed amendments-to-amendments would tures infor- committee has consistently set aside divisional and sub permit alternates to attend meetings of the proposed college stadiums divisional boundaries to seek compromises to complex Executive Committee, the Division I Board of Directors are filled to issues,” said Joseph N. Crowley, chair of the committee and the Division I Management Council. and president of the University of Nevada. The oversight committee believes that when an indi- ’ The oversight committee agreed to support the pm vidual is not able to attend such meetings in person, he , schools under con- 1 posal in a December 15 conference call that was con- or she may be able to participate by other means, such gridiron. ducted to review relevant legislation. as through the use of a telephone or computer. The com- College football poses a Proposal No. 7-2 specifies that revenue distribution mittee believes these other means are preferable to per- problem, howev- poorly the among Division I members would be achieved by using mitting alternates to attend meetings. er, for the avid Special9 publications result recruit per- fan: It is played from a frenzy over recruiting. formed on on only a dozen the Xl‘ or Proposals address clearinghouse’s or so dates each calendar year. ACT; and so on. Also, a rating of Many fans need something to some sort usually is attached to fill the void between bowl games each publicized recruit, resulting certification role for official visits and spring practice, and for in rankings of the nation’s or a many of them, nothing does the region’s top players. Thi\ ic tlu: lclrt of six arttiles on lq&tkrn thnt has ken sub- Conference members believe that institutions can obtain job the way recruiting does. Has this attcnrion to recruiting mittdf~ the 90th annunl NCG4ACwrruentimm January 610 irl such information in a timely manner and should be Questions abound about a gotten out of hand? Some people Llallac. This installmentfeatur~ the 26 fnq~o.~lr of the recruit- empowered to make decisions ahour whether a prospect school’s next recruiting class: think so, including some of the ing pmping and a& p@osaLr in thu amateuri~m/awur/tc/ can visit The NC&4 Division I Steering Committee, how- W111it be a good one? Will it have reporters and editors of major-- hen.tfi& deregulation package. ever, opposes the proposal. size? Speed? Which studcnt-ath- rnarkel newspapers that publish The steering committee is suggesting that the question letes have risky academic back- the information. The question of whether Lhe Nt3A Initial-Eligibility be studied during rhe coming year. As a result Division I grounds? Will the next class turn “A necessary evil” Clearinghouse should continue to certify prospective stu- members will have the option of approving a resolution around the program? Is it in rhe dent-athletes’ eligibility for official vi& to Division I cam- that would direct the Special Committee to Oversee Im- top five nationally? “It would be safe to say it is an puses is among several issues that will be addressed in the plementation of the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Many of those questions are area that we’ve wrestled with,” recruiting grouping of legislation at the 1996 Convention. and the NCAA Academic Requirements and Recruiting answered by newspapers, sports- said Jeff Miller, assistant sports The Pacific-10 Conference is proposing that the clear- Commiaees to study whether it is “necessary or desirable” talk radio stations and, most of editor in charge of college cover- inghouse be relieved of the responsibility for certifying for the clearinghouse to certify eligibility for o5cial visits. all, recruiting services that pro- age at the Dallas Morning News. that prospects have achieved the rest scores, grade-point Approval of the resolution could result in proposed leg- duce publications seemingly for “We probably describe it as a averages and core courses required for an official visit in islation for the 1997 Convention. the sole purpose of giving col- spans that have an early National Letter of Intent signing lege football, as well as basket- See Recruiting, page 9 l period See Legislation, page IO l Impressive group of student-athletes named Today’s Top VI II A standout group of student-athletes ~ including the 1995 NCAA Woman of the Year, individual champions in golf and swimming and diving, foot- ball standoutc for bowl-bound teams, and a two-time basketball scoring champion ~ has been selected ;is this year’s Today’s Top VIII by the NCXA I Ionors Committee. The Today’s Top VIII honors dis- tinguished student-athletes from the Ainsworth Coetzee Graham Hun-son Lobo Myers Santini Thompson preceding calendar year for athletics ability and achievement, academic Ainsworth of Kenyon College and ketball players Emilie Hanson of ham of the University of Nebraska, College. achievement, character, and leader- Jenny Thompson of Stanford Uni- Central College (Iowa) and Rebecca Lincoln, and Gregory J. Myers of The Today’s Top VIII will be recog- ship. versity and diver Cheril Santini of Lobe of the University of Connect- Colorado State University; and golfer Those chosen are swimmers Carla Southern Methodist University; bas- icut; football players Aaron G. Gra- Charlaine Coetzee of Longwood See TopVIII, page 20 l Pane 2 TheNCAANews December 25, I995 . ....................... Schedule of key dates for January and February NCAA News Dll@E~T A weekly summary of major activities within the Association JANUARY RECRUITING Man’s Division I baskehdi i-3 I: Quiet period, except for 20 days between November 16. 1995. and March IS. 1996. selected at the discretion of the Institution and designated in writ- ing in the ofice of the director of athletics: Evaluation period.** Women’s Division I basketball* I-3 I : Quiet period, except 20 days between October 8. 1995. and February 29. 1996. selected at the dlscre- tion of the institution and designated in writing in the offIce of the director of athletics: Evaluation period.= Men’s Division ii basketball The period between the prospect’s initial and final high- school or two-year college contests: Evaluation period. Women’s Division II basketball* The period between the prospect’s initial and final high- school or two-year college contests: Evaluation period. Division I football December I, 1995, through February 3,I996. is a con- tact period, except for the periods noted below. Seven in-person, off-campus contacts per prospective studenc- athlete shall be permitted during this period, with not more than one permitted in any one calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) or partial calendar week December 24, 1995~January I, I996 . Dead period. January 7 and January I I, I996 ___.____________Quiet period. January 8 through January IO. I996 ________Dead period. Division ii footbaii I-3 I ____________________.........................................Conuct period. Hitting the hole - Mike Erhurdt of the University of Montana tries to get past Marshall University’s Melvin Cunningham (No. 25) during the NCAA LXvision I-AA Football Championship. Andy Larson kicked afield goal with 39 secondsremaining, lifting Montunu to a 22-20 victory. It was t&first championship and first trip to the title gamefor Montana, which finished the season 13-2. Seechampionship story, page 7. FEBRUARY RECRUITING Man’s Division I basketbail 1989-90 and the transfer class of 1989-90 and made recommendations intended to improve i-29: Quiet period, except for 20 days between the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse’s November 16, 1995. and March 15. 1996. selected at enrollment data for the fall 1995 term, and to the discretion of the institution and designated in writ- update the average time to graduate and the ability to provide consistenr and timely certifi- ing in the office of the director of athletics: Evaluation Clarification guidelines graduation rates of student-athletes who have cation rulings and to control increasing use of period? exhausted athletics eligibility.