REPORT of the NCAA DIVISION I COUNCIL and COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEES JUNE 22-23, 2021, VIDEOCONFERENCE This Document Includes R
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REPORT OF THE NCAA DIVISION I COUNCIL AND COUNCIL STANDING COMMITTEES JUNE 22-23, 2021, VIDEOCONFERENCE This document includes reports from the following: NCAA Division I Council, NCAA Division I Committee on Academics, NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee, NCAA Division I Legislative Committee, NCAA Division I Strategic Vision and Planning Committee, and NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee. In an effort to connect Council and standing committee items to the NCAA pillars of academics, fairness and well-being, items included in this report have an identifying pillar. There is an additional pillar, operational, that is used to denote items that relate to maintaining a stable and efficient Division I. Voting results of actions in this report are included in the Attachment. Per NCAA Constitution 5.3.2.2.6.2, legislation adopted by the Council (other than noncontroversial legislation), is considered final at the conclusion of the next NCAA Division I Board of Directors meeting. KEY ITEMS. 1. NCAA Division I Name, Image and Likeness Update. (Fairness/Well- Being/Operational) The Council discussed issues related to name, image likeness following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the Alston case. The Council reviewed and considered several options for a path forward. Given the short timeframe between the Supreme Court decision and the July 1 effective date of NIL legislation in several states, the Council recognizes the need for temporary action that would bring some level of consistency across the country so that all student-athletes, regardless of where they reside or attend school, may have the opportunity to use their NIL. Action may include an interim waiver or policy stating that an individual’s eligibility is not impacted by engaging in NIL activities that do not constitute pay for play or improper inducements regardless of whether a state law is in effect. The NCAA Board of Governors, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and the leadership of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will meet jointly on Thursday, June 24 to engage in additional discussion. The Council will reconvene on Monday, June 28 to discuss the potential temporary approach to name, image and likeness regulations. The Board of Directors will meet again on June 30. 2. Blanket Waiver – Financial Aid Regulations. (Fairness/Well-Being/Operational) The Council approved a blanket waiver of NCAA Bylaws 15.3.2.3 (hearing opportunity) and 15.3.5.3 (reduction or nonrenewal not permitted) to allow an institution to reduce or not renew financial aid, and not provide an opportunity to appeal the decision, for the student- athlete’s final year of eligibility if the student-athlete received a COVID-19 season-of- competition waiver or extension of eligibility. Specifically, the waiver applies to underclassmen who received COVID-related relief and are provided the opportunity to use that relief in their final year at the same institution. Report of the NCAA Division I Council and Council Standing Committees June 22-23, 2021, Videoconference Page No. 2 _________ 3. Blanket Waiver Modification. (Fairness/Operational) The Council approved a modification to a blanket waiver of Bylaw 11.7.2 (recruiting coordination functions) to permit only institutional staff members (other than coaches) who are employed full time and have passed the recruiting certification exam to initiate telephone calls to prospective student‐athletes through December 31, 2021. The modification, which is effective June 28, is consistent with the previous telephone call blanket waiver for football approved in November 2020 that applied to full‐time institutional staff members. 4. Women’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar. (Fairness/Operational) The Council introduced a proposal into the 2021-22 legislative cycle to amend the recruiting calendar in women’s basketball, as specified, in the following areas: a. Revisions to the monthly recruiting calendar; b. Elimination of in-home visits and replaced with virtual visits; c. Changes to timing, number and length of official visits; d. Increased flexibility with on-campus evaluations; e. Expansion of recruiting opportunities for international prospects; and f. Increased flexibility with telephone calls and virtual activities with prospects. Additional details of the proposal are available here. The proposal’s effective date is immediate. The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee requests that the Council vote on the proposal in January 2022. The oversight committee will examine whether any of the proposal concepts should be considered as blanket waivers and/or temporary legislation for fall 2021 to provide for a seamless transition to a new calendar. Rationale. This proposal has been recommended due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recruiting. The elements of the proposal were developed by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division I Stewardship Working Group with five guiding principles in mind: (1) Well-being of prospective student-athletes and enrolled student- athletes; (2) Support work/life balance for coaches; (3) To provide more time on campus for coaches to focus on their current student-athletes; (4) To provide ample and equitable opportunities to evaluate; and (5) Enforceability. The elimination of in-person visits prioritizes the health and safety of prospective student-athletes, their families and coaches and virtual home visits have been successful. Due to the increasing number of Division I women’s basketball student-athletes entering the transfer portal, it is more important than ever for coaches to develop strong relationships with their current student-athletes. The most effective means of building those relationships is ensuring that coaches are on campus Report of the NCAA Division I Council and Council Standing Committees June 22-23, 2021, Videoconference Page No. 3 _________ more. This proposal also provides additional flexibility for international recruiting, while addressing the current legislative challenges presented by international recruiting that does not take place in a scholastic environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged coaches to recruit more efficiently and, as a result, coaches have made strides in work/life balance that should be continued. Adoption of this proposal in January 2022 with an immediate effective date will continue the positive momentum gained by lessons learned from recruiting during the COVID-19 pandemic. 5. Women’s Basketball Qualifying Regular-Season Multiple-Team Events. (Fairness/Operational) The Council introduced a proposal into the 2021-22 legislative cycle, in women’s basketball, to amend Bylaws 17.4.5.2 (maximum limitations – institutional – women’s basketball) and 17.4.5.2.1 (qualifying regular-season multiple- team event – women’s basketball) to limit an institution’s total regular-season playing schedule with outside competition during the playing season to one of the following: a. Twenty-eight contests (games and scrimmages) and one qualifying regular-season multiple-team event that does not exceed three contests, with an exemption for a championship game, if offered; b. Twenty-nine contests (games and scrimmages) and one qualifying regular-season multiple-team event that does not exceed two contests; or c. Twenty-nine contests (games and scrimmages) during a playing season in which the institution does not participate in a qualifying regular-season multiple-team event. The proposal’s effective date is immediate; a contract signed before June 23, 2021, may be honored. The Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee requests that the Council vote on the proposal in January 2022. Rationale. Current legislation provides only one avenue for women’s basketball teams to reach the 31-contest limit while participating in a qualifying regular-season multiple-team event. There are very few multiple-team events that offer a sufficient number of contests for schools to reach the 31 contests. This proposal would provide women’s basketball teams with flexibility by offering additional ways to reach 31 contests, either by way of any existing multiple-team event or newly created multiple-team events. The additional flexibility may spur the creation of additional multiple-team events and contribute to the growth of women’s basketball. Multiple-team events provide an opportunity for quality nonconference competition and experiences. Overall, this proposal generally does not increase or decrease the maximum number of contests, but rather provides additional opportunities to reach the 31 contests. Report of the NCAA Division I Council and Council Standing Committees June 22-23, 2021, Videoconference Page No. 4 _________ 6. Legislative Package for Academic Enhancement of Men’s Wrestling. (Academics/ Well-Being/Fairness/Operational) The Council introduced, in men’s wrestling, a package of recommendations into the 2021-22 legislative cycle designed to improve the academic performance of men’s wrestling student-athletes. Specially, the proposal: a. Requires all wrestling student-athletes to present a cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 or a term grade-point average of 2.000 from the most recently completed academic term; b. Specifies that an institution shall provide each counter athletically related and other countable financial aid that is equal to or greater than a 20% equivalency; that current exceptions in Bylaw 15 for institutions that provide need-based aid only will apply to this new requirement; and specify that an institution