Eligibility Standards Are Raised
The first wave of academic and eligibility reforms sought by college and university presidents was approved Thursday by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors at a meeting in Indianapolis.
The proposals take effect Aug. 1, 2003 and will apply to current high school seniors.
For initial freshman eligibility, the number of required core courses needed to enter college was raised from 13 to 14. (Raising the core class total to 16 will be considered after further study). A 2.0 grade-point average in those core courses will continue to be required. And the sliding-scale relationship between standardized test scores and core-course GPA will be extended by eliminating the minimum test score currently in place.
“It’s all about graduation rates,” said Rich Herczog, UCLA’s compliance director. “There have been lots of studies to determine the profile of who succeeds as student-athletes. An additional core course means a great deal. Core courses coming out of high school are the best predictor of success in college.”
For continuing eligibility, the minimum percentage of degree requirements for student-athletes to remain eligible was increased. At present student athletes must complete 25% of their degree work after two years, 50% after three years, and 75% after four years. Under the new legislation those numbers are 40%, 60% and 80%.
“If you continue to meet it, you will graduate,” said Robert Hemenway, board chairman and chancellor of the University of Kansas. “If you don’t fit the model, you won’t be participating in college sports.”
Also, a student athlete must complete at least 24 hours of academic credit as he or she enters the second year of enrollment.
The NCAA Management Council had sought to give the NCAA punitive powers for athletic departments whose athletes were not meeting the standards of progression. Among those powers are the ability to take away scholarships, or ban teams from television or postseason appearances.
“That issue lacks definition,” said David Berst, NCAA Division I chief of staff. “We’re probably staring at another year of negotiations before it is ready for a vote.”
Even though NCAA presidents have sought reforms for years, this was the first academic reform package brought before the board since it became the NCAA’s ruling body on legislation after the restructuring of institution’s voting process in 1997.
An NCAA executive committee, chaired by University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer, spent two years developing the package. It was presented to the Management Council on Oct. 21, which made some minor changes before bringing it to the board of directors for Thursday’s vote.
“The only question is going to be over cutting the SAT scores,” said Tom Hansen, the Pacific 10 Conference commissioner.
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Staff Writer Steve Henson contributed to this story.