VOL. 16 l NO. 5’ AUbU3I 13, IY/Y Congress delaying NBC gains basketball USOC appropriation TV rights A $16 million congressional appropriation for the United States Olympic Committee has been delayed, apparently because of con- The NCAA has granted NBC cern in Congress with the USOC’s lack of compliance with the Sports the exclusive rights to Amateur Sports Act of 19’78. televise the 1980 and 1981 Na- Both the NCAA and the National Federation of State High tional Collegiate Basketball School Associations have opposed the appropriation of the money Championships. since the USOC and the national governing bodies that control The agreement authorizes it have not demonstrated a commitment to the provisions of the NBC to televise a combination Amateur Sports Act. Of particular concern has been the IJSOC’s of games each year that will disregard for the arbitration provisions of the Amateur Sports total 11 exposures. In 1980, Act as shown in a case involving the United States Wrestling those contests will be aired Federation. March 8-9 (second round), As dictated by the terms of the USOC constitution, the USWF March 16-16 (regional finals), challenged the Amateur Athletic Union as the national governing March 22 (national semifinals) body for wrestling. Following the established USOC procedures, and March 24 (national finals). the case was heard by an American Arbitration Association panel, In 1981, the championship which determined that the USWF should be the national govem- games will be telecast on March ing body for the sport. 14-15 (second round), March However, FILA -- the international wrestling body - subse- 21-22 (regional finals), March quently refused to recognize the USWF, claiming the arbitrators 28 (national semifinals) and lacked the expertise required to make a responsible decision. Then, March 30 (national finals). The in contradiction of its own rules, the USOC granted the AAU rein- finals will be in Indianapolis in statement as the national governing body for wrestling. 1980 and in Philadelphia in Because of that, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) withdrew a $16 1981. million appropriation proposal that had been designated for the The signing of the contract usoc. will mean that after 1981 NBC According to Congressional appropriations procedures, however, will have telecast 13 consecu- the money still may be made available to the USOC if a request tive National Collegiate Basket- for the funds is made from the White House. Under such con- ball Championships. ditions, both Houses of Congress would be required to hold hear- One of NBC’s obligations for ings on the matter, probably in mid-October, at which time the school-college community would have another opportunity to be the championship will require heard. the network to produce and School-college representatives had strongly urged that no schedule at least 24 minutes of money be forthcoming until the USOC complied with its con- coverage of an NCAA cham- stitution and the provisions of the Amateur Sports Act. pionship other than basketball. “The input of schools and colleges across the nation obviously The championship is to be has helped focus the at.tention of Congress on serious problems designated by January 1 of the within the USOC and whether it is entitled to the $16 million ap- year of the championship. propriation,” said David L. Maggard, University of California, NBC will consult annually Berkeley, chairman of the International Relations Committee. with the Division I Basketball “The International Relations Committee appreciates the sup- Committee on play-by-play and port of those institutions and the insistence by Congress that color announcers with the un- the USOC truly effect a new order for amateur sports in this derstanding that none will be country.” NBC on the scene at basketball championship Continued on page 6 Basketball attendance reaches new heights in ‘79 National college basketball NATIONAL COLLEGE BASKETBALL ATTENDANCE aging 12,238 per game or ses- attendance hit 30 million for Percent Total Games or Total 1979 Avg. per game Changet tchange sion-1,000 above 1978's na- the first time in history in 1979, teams sosslon8 attendance or session In avg. - percent In total tional mark- and totaling l,- helped by a third consecutive Home attendance, NCAA Dwrs~on I 257 3.409 17.519539 5.139 Up 156 3 13 Up 466 713,380, up 173,791. The South- huge increase in NCAA Di- NCAA Champronshrp Tournament 22 271,392 12.336 D 629 4.65 Up 16.30 eastern Conference moved up vision I. All other DIV I neutralkite attendance 107 858.452 a.023 up 491 6.52 Up 22 56 to second at 10,909 per game or The national total was 30,- Total all NCAA Divwon I 257 3.538 i 8.649.383 5.271 up 178 3.49 Up 5.52 session, then came the Western 025,142 spectators for all 1,240 Home attendance, NCAA Drvrsron II. 172 2.147 3.295.149 1,535 Up 24 1 59 up 4.51 Athletic, Atlantic Coast and senior colleges in the United Home attendance, NCAA Drvisron Ill 289 3.151 2.427,688 770 D 41 5 06 D 4.74 Big Eight. States with varsity teams (729 Home attendance, NCAA Associates 11 125 175.290 1,402 0 No Avg. Change #Up 20.67 In fact, every one of the top are NCAA members), com- Home attendance, NAIA-only Teams 359 4,336 4.321.536 996 D 19 I .a7 Up 152 15 major-college conferences pared to the 1978 total of 29,- Home attendance, all others 152 1.512 380.065 251 UP 4 1.62 Up 256 104,329. That is an increase of NCAA Dwrsron II Tournament 22 66,446 3.020 D 755 20.00 D 20.00 was up in total attendance and 920,813, or 3.16 percent. NCAA Division Ill Tournament 22 43.850 1,993 up 197 10.97 Up 16.26 14 up in average, the ACC NAIA Tournament 187.668 The increase in NCAA Di- 134 1,402 D 13 0.92 up 293 showing a tiny drop from a NCCAA DIV. I B II Tournaments. 33 44.100 1,336 UP 288 27 48 Up 35 69 record high in 1978. vision I was 976,190for a total NLCAA Tournament 33 22.970 696 D 1 0.14 D 0.13 of 18,649,383. Major-college at- All other neutralkite attendance, Those figures on new arenas tendance was up 1.2 million in All 963 teams below NCAA Divwon I 265 410,797 1.550 D 198 11 33 D 21.94 and those with lO,OOO-up ca- 1978 over 1977, and increased NATIONAL FIGURES FOR 1979. 1,240 15.320 30.025,142 1.960 Up 56 2 94 Up 316 pacity do not include several 1.1 million in 1977 over 1976. new, big-city arenas where For the last three seasons, Di- f197r.3 hgures reflect 1979 changes in conference, division and assocfatlon alignments. provrdrng true COmparlSOnS major-colleges play some home vision I attendance has in- #One associate member in 1979~Alabama~Brrmmgham-had no varsrty team in 1976. so its 1979 figures-15 games. 91.765 for games. It includes only those creased by just over 3.3 million, 6.1 la-are not included m thrs change-comparrson only: the other 10 associate members averaged 759 both years but played more home where a team plays at least half or 21.58 percent. games m the 1979 season. NLCAA represents National Little College Athlebc Assocratron. of its home games. Most are on Building boom: One major NCCAA represents Nabonal Chnsban College Athletic Association campus. factor must be the arena-build- Over the last three seasons, ing boom that occurred in the or authorized in the 197Os, a now play in arenas seating at four conferences have enjoyed ’70s. A total of 100 major-col- ference tournaments and ex- survey by NCAA Statistics least 10,000, or soon will when lege teams now are or soon will pansions of the NCAA and Na- remarkable increases. The Big authorized construction is com- be playing their home games in Service shows. tional Invitation Tournament Ten in 1979 was up 3,182 per arenas built in this decade or In addition, 13 more major- pleted. Twenty years ago only championships. game over 1976 (36.1 percent), in arenas where construction college home courts were ex- 22 did. However, the Big Ten Con- the Southeastern was up 2,898 is authorized or already under panded in the 1970s and six Lesser factors in the in- ference, which does not have a in average (36.2 percent), the way. In NCAA Divisions II and more entirely renovated. As a creases have been more post- postseason tournament, once Big Eight 1,934 in average III, 120 more arenas were built result, 102 Division I teams season games due to more con- again set all-time highs, aver- Continued on page 3 The Editor’s View Heat-illness tragedies a voidable Rep; ted hei commrnling pertinently about intercollegiate athletics. It is selected because the NCAA News leels it makes a point and discusses a topic In this enlightened age, it is all but in- very least, debatable. Clearly, however, that will interest readers. Publication herein, however, does not im- credible that some men still live in the dark there is no justification for risking lives to ply NCAA News endorsement of the views expressed by the author. ages of athletic training methods. establish a competitive edge in any sporting Here is one example from Los Angeles event.