NCAA Official Wary of Outside Pressures

NCAA Executive Director Dick Schultz opened the 86th annual NCAA convention in Anaheim Tuesday by urging delegates to deal with several “pressures” that have been brought to bear on college athletics, including intervention from state and federal lawmakers.

“To preserve your right as a voluntary association to make rules and enforce those rules, it is very important that we have the support of each institution . . . not just in lip service to us, but in active support of NCAA activities . . . with your own lobbying efforts at the state or national level,” Schultz told the nearly 2,300 delegates representing the NCAA’s member schools and conferences.

The convention today will begin considering the 153 proposals on its agenda, several of which will tighten academic standards for both prospective and enrolled student-athletes.

In attempting to set the tone for the convention, Schultz called for the adoption of the academic proposals, which were developed by the NCAA Presidents Commission as part of its ongoing drive for reform.

Chief among the commission’s proposals is legislation that would raise the NCAA’s freshman eligibility standards, commonly known as Proposition 48. The most significant element in the legislation would increase the high school grade-point average required under Prop. 48 from 2.0 to 2.5.

“While we can argue about accessibility (of higher education for athletes), the fact is these are still modest requirements when compared to the average requirements for a college student,” Schultz said.

Schultz referred directly to a bill introduced in Congress by Rep. Tom McMillen (D-Md.), a former NBA player and college basketball star at Maryland.

McMillen’s bill, known as the “Collegiate Athletic Reform Act,” includes provisions that would require the NCAA to adopt a new revenue distribution plan based in part on de-emphasis of major sports and force all NCAA enforcement proceedings to conform to standards of legal due process.

Four states have already enacted laws requiring that such standards of legal due process be used in NCAA enforcement proceedings.

Several other states, including California, are considering bills with a similar intent.

“Some schools in states where the so-called ‘due process’ laws have been passed have found out that the (laws) have greater impact than intended,” Schultz said. “In fact, in some cases, (schools) are finding that they can no longer maintain institutional control of their programs because the same law intended to be used against the NCAA can also be used against them.”

One step in dealing with the state legislation, he said, would be the adoption of measures proposed last year by a special committee set up by the NCAA to review enforcement policy. The most significant of those measures, including holding open infractions hearings and using hearing officers from outside the NCAA, probably will be considered at next year’s convention.

According to Schultz, NCAA attempts to counteract state and federal legislation will cost the organization $2.5 million in the current fiscal year.

Noting that 70% of Division I schools currently cannot generate enough athletic revenue to cover their expenses, Schultz asked delegates to vote to retain cost-cutting measures adopted at last year’s convention and continue to look for ways to reduce expenses.