Proper attention A recap Eye on promotion January 15, 1996 Volume 33, No. 2 Rick Burns says The index of The Track and field players, not coaches, NCAA News for examines ways 4 should be the focus 9 the past six months 8 to better market of sports is published the sport National Collegiate Athletic The Association Page 9 Official Publication of the National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA News Membership’s approval puts restructuring plan in motion BY DAVID PICKLE one-institution, one-vote principle in EDITOR-IN-CHIEF,THE NCAA NEWS I Division II members reject favor of a more representative form certification plan: Page 24. DALLAS — Now that the plan is in of governance. place, the real work of restructuring Christine H. B. Grant, women’s ath- begins. “This is a historic time for the letics director at the University of Io- The approval of the restructuring NCAA,” said outgoing Presidents Com- wa, said that the Association and Divi- plan January 8 at the NCAA’s 90th mittee Chair Judith E. N. Albino, a sen- sion I in particular should not turn annual Convention represents the timent backed by most of the record away from the one-school, one-vote beginning of what proponents say will number of delegates attending the principle “which has served us so well be a much more efficient, federated Convention. They supported the pro- for so long.” Association in which chief executive posal overwhelmingly, passing the core Tanya Yvette Hughes, student-ath- officers will exercise more control legislation by a vote of 777-79-1. No vote lete chair of the NCAA Student-Ath- than ever before. on any amendment-to-amendment or lete Advisory Committee, noted that But it also means the beginning of any part of the proposal was close in student-athletes were assured of rep- the hard work facing the transition any division. resentation on the Divisions II and teams, who will have to address a mul- But even though the legislation III Management Councils but not in titude of details before the plan be- was approved by more than 90 per- Division I. comes effective in August 1997. cent of those voting, it was not un- Edward B. Fort, chancellor of North The approval of the plan culmi- common in debate to hear lingering Carolina A&T State University, sup- nated an arduous 18-month project concerns. In particular, speakers ported the proposal but repeatedly that involved chief executive officers, revealed apprehension about access emphasized that Division I must devel- faculty representatives and athletics to the governance structure, espe- op a plan to assure access to the struc- administrators from each of the Asso- cially in Division I, which chose to set ciation’s membership divisions. The aside the Association’s traditional See Restructuring, page 7 ➤ end result means one of the most dra- matic changes in NCAA history: By the end of 1997, the NCAA Council More Convention news to come Rich Clarkson/NCAA Photos and Presidents Commission no longer will exist; in their places will be presi- A complete review of the 1996 NCAA Convention will appear in the Wizard of Westwood wows crowd — John R. dential boards and management January 22 issue of The NCAA News. Included in that issue will be a Wooden, legendary former basketball coach at the University of summary of all legislation considered by the membership. councils for each division, along with California, Los Angeles, and the 1996 Theodore Roosevelt an overarching Executive Committee. Also, the text of any legislation that immediately became effective at The committee structure will take on the conclusion of the Convention will be published in the January 29 Award winner, captivated the audience at the Convention a markedly different, although as yet issue of the News. honors dinner. See story, page 6. undetermined, new look. Dempsey says future depends on preservation of values BY DAVID PICKLE million annually to $10 million and an increase EDITOR-IN-CHIEF,THE NCAA NEWS I See complete speech: Page 6. in the academic-enhancement fund to more DALLAS — How the NCAA deals with three than $15 million annually. In remarks after the important issues will go a long way toward deter- speech, Dempsey said he is interested in bridg- mining what the state of the Association will be Dempsey said that the Association should be ing the gap between the value of a grant-in-aid 10 years from now, NCAA Executive Director proud of how college football was conducted and the full cost of attendance for students with Cedric W. Dempsey told delegates to the 90th over the last season, contrasting the behavior of special financial needs. annual Convention. college players with their professional counter- He also said after the speech that the Asso- In his third “State of the Association” speech, parts. He added, however, that the conduct issue ciation needs to address questions such as Dempsey told a record number of delegates is not limited to the athletes. whether student-athletes should be permitted to (more than 2,600) that they and the NCAA will “It also means improving the ethical conduct work out-of-season, acknowledging that legisla- be judged by their treatment of issues related to of coaches on the field, or in the arena, in their tion to that effect probably would not pass this sportsmanship and ethical conduct, student-ath- treatment of officials and in the values they instill Convention. lete welfare, and improper agent activity. in their players,” he said. “It means improving But he told the delegates that student-athlete “We must recommit ourselves to preserving the behavior of fans and their treatment of the welfare concerns go beyond merely providing the values that have made sport such a positive opposition. Finally, it means changing the cri- money. influence in our lives,” Dempsey said in the teria administrators use to make their hiring and “We must remain vigilant in assuring that the January 7 speech. firing decisions. athletics demands placed on student-athletes are Regarding sportsmanship and ethical con- “The public will judge us fairly by our actions reasonable,” he said. “When young men and duct, Dempsey said that the special place that and not our words,” he said. “And should our women are made to feel that in-season compe- intercollegiate athletics has in the hearts of the actions ever conflict with our stated values, we tition is a full-time job, something is terribly sports-loving public is not guaranteed. will pay a high price.” wrong.” “If we dare take it for granted — as we cur- Student-athlete welfare Agent issues Rich Clarkson/NCAA Photos rently risk doing — if we ignore the erosion of those values that have made intercollegiate ath- Regarding student-athlete welfare, Dempsey As for agents, Dempsey revealed that the NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Demp- letics special — that special place will be lost for- noted recent NCAA Executive Committee actions sey addresses the 1996 Convention. ever,” he said. increasing the special-assistance fund from $3 See Dempsey, page 7 ➤ Page 2 The NCAA News January 15, 1996 Schedule of key dates for January and February NCAA News DIGEST JANUARY 1 2 3 4 5 6 A weekly summary of major activities within the Association 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Division I racial composition JANUARY RECRUITING Men’s Division I basketball 1-31: Quiet period, except for 20 days between November 16, 1995, and March 15, 1996, selected at the discretion of the institution and designated in writ- ing in the office of the director of athletics: Evaluation period.** Women’s Division I basketball* 1-31: Quiet period, except 20 days between October 8, 1995, and February 29, 1996, selected at the discre- 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 1, 1995, through February 3, 1996, is a con- Baseball Men’s cross Other men’s sports Women’s cross tact period, except for the periods noted below. Seven Amer.Indian...................... .2% country/track Amer.Indian...................... .3% country/track in-person,off-campus contacts per prospective student- Asian .................................. .7 Amer.Indian...................... .6% Asian .................................. 1.9 Amer.Indian...................... .2% athlete shall be permitted during this period, with not Black .................................. 7.3 Asian .................................. .8 Black.................................... 5.6 Asian .................................. .9 more than one permitted in any one calendar week Hispanic ............................ 3.5 Black.................................... 28.4 Hispanic ............................ 3.9 Black.................................... 30.8 (Sunday through Saturday) or partial calendar week: White ................................ 87.1 Hispanic ............................ 3.7 White ................................ 80.0 Hispanic ............................ 2.7 December 24, 1995-January 1, 1996........Dead period January 7 and January 11, 1996 ................Quiet period Other.................................. 1.3 White ................................ 60.6 Other.................................. 8.3 White ...............................