Council Receives Committee Hearings Postponed The testimony of NCAA Committee chairman Charles Reports, Reviews Legislation representatives before the Alan Wright; and John L. House Subcommittee on Over- Toner, chairman of the Sub- sight and Investigations has committee on Eligibility Ap- ment to Bylaw 5-5-(f) to reduce The NCAA Council heard nu- tion legal fees and expenses had been postponed for a second peals. merous legislative proposals from exceeded $500,000 for the 1977- the maximum awards limitation time. “We naturally are disap- the Association’s committees at 78 fiscal year, recommended the in Division II football from 60 Originally the subcommittee pointed that the subcommit- its August 23-25 meeting in Dal- Council sponsor legislation re- to 45. planned to hear testimony tee has postponed our appear- las, including srvtral recommen- quiring member institutions to . Agreed to a recommendation from the Association in July, ante for a second time,” dations from the Classification pursue internal appeal and re- from the Division I Steering but that date was set back Thompson said. “Many ques- Committee which would alter di- view procedures before becom- Committee to sponsor legislation until September 13-15. Now tions have been raised which vision membership procedures. ing involved with legal actions to rescind the Division I fresh- the subcommittee has estab- require amplification and clar- against the Association, with the man “redshirt” rule set forth in The Council voted to sponsor lished September 27-29 as the ification. We are eager to stipulation that the losing party Bylaw 4-1-(d). a number of the Classification correct the record at the earl- would be required to pay the ex- dates for NCAA representa- Committee proposals and will re- . Voted to sponsor legislation tives to testify. icst possible date.” penses of the winning party if prohibiting recruiting and scout- view others at its October mret- Witnesses for the NCAA The subcommittee an- the matter were to be litigated. ing off campus by part-time as- ing. will include President J. Neils nounced its investigation of The Council approved this rec- sistant coaches. Among the Classification Com- Thompson; Secretary-Treas- the NCAA October 4, 1977, ommendation and requested that The Council also heard reports mittee proposals to he sponsored urer Edgar A. Sherman; Ex- and conducted its first hearing appropriate legislation be draft- from the Division III Football, were thr following: ecutive Director Walter By- February 27, 1978, when Brent cd for consideration at its Octo- International Relations, Public . A Division II member meet- ers; former Infractions Com- Clark, an employee of the sub- ber meeting. Relations, Research, Long Range ing appropriate scheduling re- mittee chairman Arthur R. committee at the time, was the The Extra Events Committee Planning, Infractions, Division II quirements could be classified Di- Reynolds; current Infractions featured witness. report asserted that no limit Steering and Division III Steer- vision I-AA in football in ad- should be placed on the number ing committees. dition to the existing opportun- of postseason football contests to ity to be classified Division I in be certified. Also, the committee one other sport (other than bas- recommended that the Associa- ketball). tion should regulate the kickoff . Members of Division I-AA times of postseason football con- football would be afforded a one- tests to protect the interests of t.ime opportunity to reclassify member institutions and their their membership to Division II. student-athletes. The Council de- l A member of an allied con- layed action on this proposal. ference could qualify for classi- A survey of the Association’s VOL. 15 l NO. 12 SEPTEMBER 15, 1978 fication in a new football division basketball-p1 a y ing membership based solely on its nonconference by the Television Committee to schedule, provided other mem- ascertain information concerning Says Safety Comes First bers of the conference and the basketball television received opponents meet certain criteria Council approval. The survey is and that at least four noncon- designed to determine the atti- ference games are played. tude toward certain controls on l Nelson Defends Rules The Division I basketball tclccasts. The qucstionnairc and EDITOR’S NOTE: Tile “As football injuries mounted, scheduling criterion would be the covering memorandum arc NCAA wel- conies attention called to reform, though obviously need- increased from at least 75 per to be mailed this month. the cent to at least 85 per cent football injuries by the recent ed, was resisted by the sports’ The Council also approved a against Division I opponents. Sports ZZtust+ated series by John custodians,” and “For their part, recommendation by the Aca- the sports administrators were l Sponsorship of a minimum Underwood and prints the fat- demic Testing and Requirements too busy trying to maximize of eight varsity intercollegiate lowing commentary by David M. Committcr that it offer in 1979 profits.” sports would br required for an _NeIson, secretary-rules editor of the “triple option” alternatives In college football this is not institution which maintains its the NCAA Football R~1e.s Com- of the 1978 Convention proposal true, and as Casey Stengel says, football program in Division II mittee, in response. II is hoped No. 88-A as three separate “Ysou can look it up.” or III or does not sponsor foot- that n constrlcclioe discussion of amrndments (2.250 minimum IFor starters, WC do not belicvr ball to have its basketball pro- is.wes will help in bringing to high school grade-point average, forvtball from junior high school gram classified in Division I. tight the fucts of the situation. minimum ACT score of 17 or to the Super Bowl is one and the l An amendment to Bylaws minimum SAT score of 750, in By DAVID M. NELSON samr game. The reasons for play- H-~-(C) and 8-4-(a) would be that order). Secretory--Rules Editor ing the game in educational insti- introduced to establish an excep- In other action, the Council: NCAA Footboll R&r Committee tutions and in the NFL never tion procedure by which an in- l Requested that legislation have been, and never will be the stitution which had been reclas- My “ale” coach at Ann Arbor, be drafted for consideration at same. sified would not be required to Fritz Crisler, has two lines that its October meeting concerning I can speak only for college remain in its new division for apply to the Sports ZIlzlstrated a Recruiting Committee recom- football even though the High three years if the reclassification three-part series, “Brutality, the mendation which would waive School Federation and NCAA had been the direct result of Crisis in Football,” authored by the three-visit rule after a pros- Committres have worked closely creation of a new NCAA division John Underwood. prctive student-athlete has in a cooperative rfTort that has or subdivision. Coach Crisler put the game of David M. Nelson signed a national letter of intent. college football in perspective brought about 128 mutual rules l A Classification Committee by saying, “It is never as good changes since 1968. proposal to be reviewed in Octo- l Ruled that the provisions of According to a report of the as some people say, and it is Both rules committees are ber would create an inactive 0.1. 1000 be applied to all sub- Athletic Injury Reporting Sys- never as bad,” and “the game is vitally interested in having the mrmhership category for those units of NCAA sports committees. tem, sports account for only not meant for everyone.” best set of playing rules possible, institutions which no longer meet 0 Voted to sponsor an amend- three to four percent of all spinal I share Sports Illustrated’s and when it is felt that the rule the criteria for any NCAA di- ment to Bylaw 3-4-(a) to elim- cord injuries. concern for the future of college of the other group best covers a vision and thus curr-cntly would inate the waiver opportunity and high school football but not game situation, a change is madr The high profile of football be reclassified as inactive mcm- which permits a Division III for all the reasons the articles to the superior rule. makes its catastrophic problems brrs. member to conduct spring foot- project. Thus, the trial-and-error pe- more of a public concern even ball practice. A report from the Executive In reference to injuries, rules riod of a major rule change is though as Dr. Joseph Torg, head Committee, noting that Associa- l Voted to sponsor an amcnd- and vicious acts, the story stated, largely eliminated, since each of the University of Penn&- rules group has the advantage vania’s Sports Medicine Center, of the other rule body’s research says, “The type of injury we are and experience with the rule. faced with here fortunately hap- I have been a member of the pens very infrequently-maybe New Officiating Format Set NCAA Football Rules Commit- one or two out of 100,000. The tee for 20 years and secretary problem is these things do keep Three-man officiating crews legal screening or holding that since 1961. At the opening of occurring.” will be used for each game of the occurs with the two-man crews. every meeting, the members Since 1970, the Rules Commit- are instructed each rule is to be 1979 National Collegiate Basket- 4. Provides the demanded cov- tee’s annual survey based on reviewed and changed by the ball Championships as a result erage for a full-court press. 10,000 players indicated the per- of action taken by the NCAA following standards listed in the 5.