Official Publication of the National Collegiate Athletic Association January 11, 1995, Volume 32, Number 2 Dempsey: Embrace the certainty of change By Jack 1. Copeland MANAGING EDITOR, THE NCAA NEWS SAN DIEGO-Setting the stage for the coming year’s examination of the Association’s governing structure, NCAA Executive Director Cedric W. Dempsey opened the 1995 NCAA Convention January 8 with a call for the membership to again rise to the challenge of change. “depends on our willingness to address the He recalled the Association’s decision 12 n Complete speech: Page 6. changing needs of student-athletes” - a years ago - in response to calls to increase reminder of the theme of this year’s the role of presidents in governance - to Convention - “and our ability to create a create a mostly advisory panel of chief exec- Presenting the executive director’s annual more responsible and responsive governing utive officers, rather than grant presidents “State of the Association” address, Dempsey structure.” authority over policy making. expressed pride in the NCAA’s growing “As we know, the membership elected to Pmsidential conid commitment to ethnic and gender diversity create a Presidents Commission,” he said. Focusing on the restructuring effort, and its willingness during the past year to “For the most part, the Commission has Dempsey noted agreement among three “openly and critically” examine initiaLeli& been a success. While it cannot enact legis- division task forces currently studying the is- bility standards. lation unilaterally, Conventions have over- sue that the authority of presidents must be But despite those and other recent suc- whelmingly passed most of the legislation it enhanced within the NCAA. cesses, the Association faces further chal- has recommended....” lenges, he told delegates in San Diego. “I am convinced that this one issue - However, it is tiJIIe to go further, he said. “Change is not optional,” Dempsey said. “It that of presidential responsibility for inter- “To clarify and strengthen the role of the NCAA Executive Director Cedric W is happening all around us.” collegiate athletics - must be the linchpin Dempsqr addressesth Convention. He suggested that the NCAA’s future of restructuring,” he said. See Address, page 24 b Division I to implement Prop 16 scale in ‘96 Gavitt named Partial qualifiers still legislation would provide partial qualifiers n Studentothlete welfare: Page 7. with an incentive for academic achieve- new president eligible for three years; ment after college enrollment Opponents, however, said the potential with the opportunity to earn a fourth sea- aid legislation changes of losing a year of eligibility is strong mot& son of athletics eligibility. of Foundation vation to perform academically in high The approximately twehour debate over By Jack 1. Copeland school. Some also expressed fear that adop The NCAA Foun- initialeligibiity proposals dominated atten- MANAGING EDITOR, THE NCAA NEWS tion of the fourth year would result in “ins& dation has named Dave tion in the January 9 sessions of the tutionalized redshirting,” or encourage- Gavitt, vice-chairman of Convention, which drew a record 2,619 SAN DIEGO - Division I delegates ment for student-athletes to use five years the board of the Boston attendees to San Diego. The previous swept aside impassioned efforts to enact to complete four years of eligibility - all Celtics and former com- record attendance was 2,447, set last year freshman ineligibility and so&n the impact the while gaining practice experience and missioner of the Big East in San Antonio. of standardized tests on minority student- conditioning even when ineligible to com- Conference, as its new Presidential Agenda Day also featured athletes ~ and then rejected the NCAA pete. president. Gavitt will be- adoption of most of the proposals of the Presidents Commission’s attempt to deal When the measure came to a vote the gin the position in June. NCAA Special Committee on Student- with test-score concerns - during debate next day, the fourth year of eligibility was “Dave is unusually Athlete Welfare, Access and Equity. of initial-eligibility proposals on Presidential rejected, 164152 (with seven abstentions). qualified for this posiL Agenda Day at the NCAA Convention. Proposals pmpt lobbying A motion for reconsideration was defeat- tion,” noted James Gavitt ed by a wider margin. Morris, chairman of the The delegates, however, adopted other Voting on initialLeligibility proposals Another measure producing consider- NC&4 Foundation board and president of the key components of the Commission’s pro- came after several days of intensive lobby- able pre-Convention discussion was the Indianapolis Water Company Kesourccs posed revisions of 1992 Convention ing in pre-Convention meetings. Proposal No. 16, including a delay in imple- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s proposal Corporation. “As a former coach, athletics mentation of the new standards until A forum January 8 for chief executive to make freshmen ineligible for intercol- director and conference commissioner, he has August 19% and a provision permitting par- officers revealed that Division I members legiate competition. a tremendous background in college sports. tial qualifiers to receive athletically related remained split on the issue of providing a Advocates of that proposal ~ notably His leadership abilities have been proven in financial aid and to practice (but not com- fourth year of eligibility for partial quali- Presidents William B. Debuder of college, Olympic and professional sports.” fiers. Votes on that issue at previous pete) as freshmen. Delaware State University and Frederick Conventions have been close. They also rejected ~ by only 12 votes - See Gad, page 24 b another effort to provide partial qualifiers Advocates of the fourth year said such See Standards, page 7 b n In the News n On deck News Digest Page 2 H The National Association of Collegiate Directors of January 11 Council, San Diego Briefly 3 Athletics is forced to make a last-minute switch of con- January 14 Infractions Appeals Committee, Atlanta vention sites: Page 3. Comment 4 January 24-25 Committee on Athletics Certification Peer n Arnie Wexler, a consultant on compulsive gam- Administrative Selection Subcommittee, Los Angeles bling, says that gambling is a major problem on col- Committee minutes 5 January 24-26 Legislative Review Committee, lege campuses and that students are not getting Newport Beach, California Statistics enough help in dealing with it: Page 4. January 29- Men’s Water Polo Committee, San Diego Index H Final statistics are complete in women’s volleyball, February 1 NCAA Record and Priscilla Pacheco of the University of Georgia led Division I in kills: Page 11. February 5-7 Football Rules Committee, The Market 22 Pacheco Amelia Island, Florida Legislative assistance 24 m .- 3 Page 2 The NCAA News January 11, 1995 TheNCAAN ews A weekly summary of major activities within the Associat ,ic l&point drop in the SAT score, a corre- sponding increase of .O25 in the student’s Delegates discuss (GPA will be required. The minimum SAT Schedule of key dates for score to remain a full qualifier will bc 700 task force reports and the lowest a qualifier can score on the January and February 1995 ACT will be 17. (Administration of the ini- The chain of each of the three task forces tial-eligibility index remains subject to mod- studying NCAA membership restructuring , ification that may be necessary as the result made formal presentations at the general of the planned “recentering” of SAT scores.) business session of the NCAA Convention n A new definition of a partial qualifier, January 9. as determined by an index adopted January 9. Although the topic was discussed briefly n A provision permitting partial qualifiers by delegates in that forum, most of the re- to receive institutional financial aid, includ- view of the task force work took place Janu- ing athletically related aid. ary 10 in the division business sessions. A I I n A provision allowing partial qualifiers complete report of those discussions will ap- 4. ‘j , 1, : ‘,-: ,I */ ,,,, / I , “‘,*j ,, “‘, to practice on campus, but not compete, dur- pear in the January 18 issue of The NCAA ing the first academic year in residence. News. JANUARY MAILING n A provision permitting a nonqualifier Those reporting to the Convention’s gen- RECRUlllNG Earl Januay: Su plemental distribution of - regardless of whether that student was re- eral business session were Kenneth A. Shaw, Men’r Division I basketball mem L ershlp trust fun 8 to be mailed to Division I membership. cruited for athletics - to receive institution- Syracuse University, Division I; Adam W. l-3 1: Quiet period, except for 20 da s between 15: Divisions II and Ill Enrollment and Persistence October 2 1, 1994, and March 15, Y 995, cho al financial aid that is not from an athletics Herbert, University of North Florida, Divi- Rate Disclosure Form to be mailed by this date. sen at the discretion of the institution as an evaC source and is based on financial need. sion II; and Edward G. Co11Jr., Alfred Uni- uation period; institutional staff members shall not If: Registration and housing forms to be mailed far those interested in attendin 1995 NCAA versity, Division III. visit a prospect’s educational institution on more For more information, see page 1. than one calendar day during this period. Title IX Seminars ( ril 101 1 in i3 allas and April For more information, see the December Effective in 1994-95 onl as a result of a 20-2 1 in Baltimorev . Staff contact: Nancy L. Mitchell. L ptember 6 action by the &AA Administrative FEBRUARY 21 issue of The NCAA News. Committee.) RECRUIYING Staff contacts: Tricia Bork and Stephen Women’s Division I basketball’ Men’s Division I basketball R. Morgan (I), Stephen A. Mallonee (II), and l-3 1 : Quiet riod, except for 20 days between l-28: Quiet period, except for 20 da s between October 8, ee994, and February 28, 1995, ch@ October 2 1, 1994, and March 15, T 995, cho Daniel T.