The NC News Official Publication of the National Collegiate Athletic Association September 19, 1994, Volume 3 1, Number 33 Student-athlete voices join pay-for-play debate By Ronald D. Mott But as recent history ing to their concerns and the compensation issue for student-athletes. THE NCAA NEWS STAFF has proven, the issue will beliefs about where they “We’ve talked about it, but we haven’t had find its way back into the would fit in the financial serious discussions about it,” said Jason C. With discussions about an NCAA Division spotlight sometime in the scheme of a football play- Wllkie, a member of the committee who for- I-A Football Championship off center stage future. off. If nothing else, it legit- merly played football at Central Michigan for the moment, so, too, is the issue of pay- Perhaps what made the imized dialogue on the University and now serves as compliance for-play compensation for student-athletes recent wave of publicity subject. coordinator at Arkansas State University. ‘We about compensation Members of the NCAA see the need for certain student-athletes to - esueciallva I in the revenue-Droducinn. Y snorts1 of Division I-A football and Division I men’s unique is that &ball student-athletes - for Student-Athlete Advisory Committee have basketball. the first time - found people at least listen- discussed - mostly informally, they say - See Compsnsdion, page 19 ) Presidents Revenue todiscuss Ph Pays proposals $82 million Division I institutions received more than $82 million this year Eligibility standards under the NCAA revenuedistribu- top meeting agenda tion plan. The last of five scheduled install- The NCAA Presidents Commis- ments was paid August 26 when sion will consider a wide variety checks for the grants-in-aid fund of subjects when it meets were mailed. Members of 34 con- September 27-28 in Kansas City, ferences and five independent Missouri. institutions received a total of Perhaps most notably, the ’ ; Comusirsion wl&diew aII 1995 n A conference-b confer- NCAA Convention proposals ence listing of r unds dis- affecting Division I initial-eligibil- tributed to Division I ity standards, including a propos- schools: Page 11. al submitted by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regarding freshman ineligibility. $82,060,916 from the plan, which The Commission has recom- distributed revenue frvm the fourth mended that new standards volleyballrecord year of the NCAA’s $1 billion con- approved at the 1992 Convention tract with CBS sports. should take effect as scheduled in University of Flinidu womm ‘s voUeybal1coach May Wise addreut~ the crowd Se@mber 1 a& In addition to the five estab- August 1995. The NCAA Council, the Gatms won their 56th straight home match, setting an NCAA remrd jii umstm&e home lished installments - the basket- ball, academic-enhancement, spe- however, will sponsor 1995 wins. Florida increuwd the record to 58 stra&ti home victories b$wre losing &@mber 4 to No. Convention legislation that cial-assistance, sports-sponsorship l-ranked Stanford Univekty Women’s volleyball takes cater stage this week in Tke NCAA would feature somewhat less and grants-in-aid funds - a sup- News, wherefw thefirst time, national stu&til leadersa@eur. &page 17. See Meeting, page 24 F See Revenue, page 6 b NCAA receives cl earance to act on Florida State eligibility cases The NG4A - with clearance from a two to four games for each player and repay- which returned the suspension TV two games. Conoly will be eligible October 8 (Florida State has an open date October 1). Federal judge who is assigned to hear the ment of benefits that each received. The NCAA credited the student-athletes Association’s pending challenge of a walled The suspensions match those already im- with two games they already have missed due ‘We generally agreed with Florida State on due process law in Florida - took action posed by Florida State, with the exception of to the university’s action, so three players, the appropriate sanctions for these young men,” said Carrie Doyle, NCAA director of September 15 in eligibility cases involving five the suspension for Tiger McMillon, whose McMillon, Derrick Brooks and Marcus Long, eligibility. Florida State University football players. suspension was extended from two games to were eligible for Florida State’s September 17 The players’ eligibility was restored with three. McMillon appealed to the Division I game. Patrick McNeil will be eligible for the certain conditions, including suspensions of subcommittee of the Eligibility Committee, Seminoles’ September 24 game, while Forrest See Eliiibility, page 22 b n In the News n On deck September 27 Special Committee to Oversee News Digest pase2 n In a guest editorial, Tulane University faculty ath- Implementation of the NCAA Committee notices 3 letics representative Gary Roberts urges careful con- sideration of the legal and regulatory ramifications Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse, Comment 4 of restructuring: Pag8 4. Kansas City, Missouri Interpretations n Ten finalists are selected for the NCAA Woman of Se#ember 27-28 Presidents Commission, Kansas City, Commiitee minutes the Year award, which will be presented at a ban- Missouri Football statistics quet November 14 in Washington, D.C.: Poge 5. SepIember 29-30 Joint meeting of Committee on Women’s NCAA Record n The Division III subcommittee of the NCAA Men’s Athletics and Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee, Kansas City, Missouri Administrative Soccer Committee is struggling to achieve a region- Commiltee minutes al-reali nment plan that will distribute teams equi- Committee on Infractions, Houston tably w f ile maintaining rivalries: m 18. The Market ?LZZ- Pane 2 The NCAA News September 19, 1994 TheNCAANews A weekly summary of major activities within the Association tle IX or the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution when it eliminated the Florida injunction granted; men’s, but not the women’s, swimming team. dates for In May 1993, Illinois announced that it was eligibility cases decided eliminating varsity programs in men’s swim- October 1994 ming and fencing and men’s and women’s A Federal judge issued a preliminary in- diving. The women’s swimming team was not junction September 13 that permitted the A.+ eliminated. Eight members of the Illinois sociation to act on the eligibility of five Flori- men’s swimming team sued the institution, da State University football student-athletes, claiming that it had discriminated against despite the presence of a so-called due them on the basis of sex. process law in Florida. The U.S. Distict Court for the Central Dis- On September 15, the NCAA restored the trict of Illinois denied both the plaintiffs’ Ti- eligibility of the student-athletes, with certain tle IX and equal-protection claims, and the conditions. The conditions include suspen- Seventh Circuit appeals court agreed with sions for two to four games for each player, the lower court. as well as repayment of benefits each re- For more information, see page 24. ceived. Staff contact: Janet M. Justus. Florida State had been unable to declare SEPTEMBER Wornen’s Divion I baskd4all’ the student-athletes ineligible or to follow RECRUrnNG l-7 ___.. Contact period. NCAA eligibility procedures because of a Man’s Divih I baskdball 8-3 1: Quiet period, except for 20 days between Florida law requiring different procedures 18 ______.................................... Quiet period. October 8 and February 28, 1995, chosen at than those adopted by the NCAA member- 9-26 __.____. ..______._...... Contact period. the discretion of the institution as an evaluation Division I members receive ship. The university imposed its own sus- 2730 _______. ..______........... Quid period. period; institutional staff members shall not visit Woman’s Division I baskdball’ $82 million from revenue plan pensions and the NCAA filed suit in Feder- a prospecfs educational institution on more than 1-16 . .._................ Quiet period. aI court on August 24, asking for the law to one calendar day during this period. 17-30 . h's Divisloll II baskdball Division 1 institutions received more than be voided. h’s Divaonu l-1 4 .___................................. Contact period. $82 million this year under the NCAA rev- Judge William Stafford of the U.S. District ld . .Quiet period. October 15 until the date of the prospecYs initial enue-distribution plan. Court for the Northern District of Florida is- 7-30 . ..____.......... Contact period. Womal’r Division II baskd4all’ high+chool or twcyear college contest Quiet pe The last of five scheduled installments sued a preliminary order September 13 that 1 d . .._______...................... Quiet period. riod. was paid August 26 when checks for the allowed the NCAA to go forward with its nor- Period between initial and final high-school or 7-30 . .. .. .. .Contact period. grants-in-aid fund were mailed. Members of mal eligibility process at Florida State and Divi8&nIfoolball two-year college contest: Evaluotion period. 34 conferences and live independent insti- with other public NCAA institutions in Flori- l-30 __... .._........... .Quiet period. Wolmn's Dividon ll baslcelball' tutions received a total of $82,060,916 from da. Division II bolball 1-14 .___._.............................. Contact period. June 1 through beginning of the prospect’s high the plan, which distributed revenue from the Besides the Florida statute, so-called due Cctober 15 until the date of the prospect’s initial school or mr college footMl season: Quiet high-school or vr col!ege contest: Quiet pe fourth year of the NCAA’s $1 billion contract process laws are in effect in Illinois and Ne- period. riod. with CBS Sports. braska. Period between initiol and final high-school or In addition to the live established installL For more information, see page 1. two-year collq~~E&i; period.