REPORT OF THE NCAA DIVISION I

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ISSUES COMMITTEE

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Issues Committee submits the following report from its May 7 – 8, 2008, meeting:

· ACTION ITEMS.

1. NCAA Division I Bylaw 11.7.4.3 –Personnel-Limitations on the Number and Duties of Coaches--Off-Campus Recruiting -- At Any One Time—Return to Campus.

a. Recommendation: The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet sponsor legislation to amend Bylaw 11.7.4.3 to specify that all permissible coaches may be off-campus for the purposes of recruiting provided the total number of coaches recruiting on behalf of the institution at any one time does not exceed the permissible number; further, to eliminate the requirement that a coach who is replaced in the recruiting process not engage in additional recruiting activities until after he or she has returned to the institution's campus.

b. Rationale: In 2005, legislation was adopted to eliminate the “baton rule” in recruiting. Specifically, Bylaw 11.7.4.3 was amended to make it permissible for a coach to leave campus to engage in off-campus contact or evaluation before another coach who is off campus actually returned to campus, provided the total number of coaches recruiting on behalf of the institution at any time did not exceed the permissible number. Pursuant to the 2005 amendment, a coach must return back to the institution’s campus before engaging in additional recruiting activities. While the 2005 amendment had the positive impact of eliminating the requirement that a coach must return to campus in order for another coach to leave campus to recruit, it did not achieve its complete intention of reducing costs and simplifying travel plans, as coaches are having to incur both the time and expense of returning to campus before re-engaging in recruiting activities. Given advances in technologies and the nation-wide scope of recruiting, the requirement that coaches return to campus in order to recruit again has resulted in unnecessary travel and had financial implications. By still limiting the number of permissible coaches that may recruit at any one time, this proposed amendment will ensure that competitive equity is maintained in the recruiting process and simplicity and fiscal responsibility are achieved.

c. Effective Date: August 1, 2009.

d. Estimated budget impact: Moderate to substantial savings, as coaches will not have to return to campus after recruiting solely to start the recruiting process again.

e. Impact on student-athlete’s time: None.

2. Bylaw 16.8.1.1, 17.02.1 and 17.1.5.2 Awards and Benefits and Playing and Practice Seasons—Expenses Provided by the Institution for Practice and Competition and Countable Athletically Related Activities--Team Building Activities Outside of Playing Season.

a. Recommendation: The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet sponsor legislation to permit an institution to provide expenses to student-athletes to attend a required team building activity (e.g., ropes courses) outside the playing season during the academic year; further, to specify that such team building activities must be conducted in accordance with the regulations associated with practice and counted as countable athletically related activity and toward the weekly hour limitations.

b. Rationale: Currently, an institution is permitted to provide expenses for student-athletes to attend required team building activities during the declared playing and practice season. Participation in these activities during the season must be counted as countable athletically related activity. This amendment would permit an institution to provide expenses for student-athletes to attend required team building activities that occur outside the declared playing and practice season (e.g., prior to the start of the season). This change would allow more flexibility in scheduling team building activities so that they could fit better within the demands of the academic year and achieve the desired outcomes for the activity. The suggested change in the legislation would not place more demands on student-athletes as the team-building activities would still be counted as a countable athletically related activity and be included in the weekly hour limitations. A student-athlete is not permitted to miss class to attend such a session. Further, any team building activity would be required to be conducted pursuant to the same regulations associated with practice (e.g., at a site located within the member institution’s state, or if outside the state, no more than 100 miles from the institution’s campus).

c. Effective Date: August 1, 2009.

d. Estimated budget impact: None to slight. Institutions are currently permitted to provide expenses for required team building activities that occur during the playing season. This amendment would broaden the timing of when such team building activities occur because expenses could be provided. A few institutions may currently conduct such team building activities on campus, at the student-athletes’ expense, during the out-of-season period.

e. Impact on student-athlete’s time: None to slight. Institutions are currently permitted to provide expenses to conduct team building activities during the playing season. This proposal would allow for expenses to be provided during the out-of-season period. Such activities - would have to be counted in the Bylaw 17.1.5.2 weekly-hourly limitations. Student-athletes would not be permitted to miss any class as a result of these activities.

· INFORMATION ITEMS.

1. Update on the Academic Performance Program. The committee received an update on the Academic Performance Program, which included a review of the public release of APR data, a listing of women’s basketball programs subject to penalties and a listing of women’s basketball programs receiving public recognition. During the course of this review, the committee noted 46 women’s basketball teams were subject to recognition while 26 programs were subject to penalties. The committee also discussed the fact that while women’s basketball is not in a state of academic crisis, it may be prudent to identify ways to improve academic performance in that sport, as the Academic Progress Rate in Women’s Basketball is the lowest of any women’s sport.

2. Review of Research Findings. The committee received a presentation from the NCAA research staff on APR trends in women’s basketball, the impact of summer school on progress toward degree, trends in academic performance by transfer students, and information from the GOALS/SCORES studies regarding the college experience of Division I women’s basketball players. Key findings, in regards to women’s basketball student-athletes, shared with the committee included:

a. The total summer credits accumulated by student-athletes is related to total credits earned and progress toward degree in years one through three. This effect holds even after controlling for the student-athletes’ academic background and the resource level of the school.

b. The summer credit effect appears as strong or stronger as high school academic preparation in predicting progress toward degree.

c. Division I women’s basketball student-athletes report spending 36 hours per week on athletics in-season. They also report spending more time away from campus and more missed class in-season than other women’s sports.

d. More Division I women’s basketball student-athletes than any other sport group felt that their coaches were a significant social and/or emotional source of support while in college.

3. Update on the Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group. The committee reviewed the preliminary recommendations of the Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group with interest, noting while women’s basketball has its unique issues and concerns, women’s basketball can learn from the work of the men’s group regarding issues pertaining to academics and access.

4. Discussion of the Student-Athlete Access Incentive Pilot Program. The committee received an update from its subgroup, which has discussed possible models for increasing athletic access to women’s basketball prospective student-athletes and student-athletes during the summer as an incentive for those teams achieving an identified level of academic success. The committee discussed this concept in light of their earlier review of research data and the preliminary recommendations of the Men’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Working Group and agreed to consider a model independent of an incentive-based model to a broader academic-access model.

5. Academic-Access Model. The committee noted that while the recently released APR data does not show that women’s basketball is in a state of academic crisis, the APR rates in women’s basketball are lower than any other women’s sports. Therefore, for the long-term well-being of the game and for the betterment of its student-athletes, the committee determined to seek to identify ways to improve the academic performance of women’s basketball student-athletes and to improve the overall academic culture before major problems arise.

With this focus in mind, the committee discussed the research findings which show the positive impact of summer credit hours earned on the achievement of long term academic success. The committee also discussed the data, which demonstrates the impact of “transferring” on long-term academic success.

The committee also discussed the importance for incoming student-athletes’ acclimation to the collegiate environment in order to formulate relationships with teammates and to become familiar with their coaches. The committee noted the role basketball plays in allowing these students to achieve a sense of balance and the role and responsibility that the team and coach has in assisting incoming student-athletes in this transition phase.

Based on its thoughtful and lengthy discussion, the committee tentatively indicated support for an academic preparation and enhancement model that involves both summer school attendance and access for women’s basketball student-athletes who are enrolling for the first time: Specifically, the concept discussed provides that:

Division I women’s basketball student-athletes who have signed financial aid agreements to receive athletically-related financial aid for the ensuing regular academic year shall be enrolled in a minimum of six hours of acceptable degree credit in order for the student to be permitted to engage in athletics activities. (The parameters of the summer access model have yet to be defined.) Consistent with the provisions of Bylaw 14.4.3.4.4, such hours may include remedial courses, provided the courses are prerequisites for specific courses acceptable for any degree program. Institutions that offer athletically related financial aid would be required to provide such aid to these student-athletes to attend the summer session. (An exception would be provided to those institutions that do not offer summer school; however, such institutions would not be able to take advantage of the athletic access component of the model.) Additionally, the institution would be required to provide life skills education during this summer session.

[Note: While the committee is supportive of the concept referenced above, the committee’s discussion is somewhat preliminary in nature and during its next in-person meeting, the committee will further define the terms of the summer access, in addition to the academic enrollment requirements (if any) for continuing students.]

6. Discussion regarding Concept of Reduction in the Scholarship Limit for Women’s Basketball. At the suggestion of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, the Women’s Basketball Issues Committee examined the issues of whether reducing the annual institutional limit on the total number of counters in Women’s Basketball from 15 to 13 would increase the level of parity in the game, with the caveat the financial aid limit in another identified women’s sports would be increased to adjust for the reduction in the women’s basketball limit. After a lengthy discussion, which included review of research data regarding sports sponsorship numbers, participation rates, high school trends and average squad-sizes, the committee agreed on the following position:

The current financial aid model for women’s basketball, which provides for a limit of 15 counters (head count), is appropriate for Division I women’s basketball, given the current level of development of the game, the general rate of funding for the game within Division and the related issues regarding women’s basketball student-athlete injury rate.

In establishing this position, the committee noted that some in the membership have questioned whether a reduction in the women’s basketball scholarship limits may further grow the game by increasing parity. The committee acknowledged that identifying ways to further grow the game is a major priority for this group, but the members suggested that identifying ways to enhance fundamentals and build skills would go further in enhancing the game than reducing scholarships. The committee expressed interest in continuing to explore ways in which to grow the game.

7. Update on status of Legislative Proposals pertaining to Division I Women’s Basketball. The committee received an update on the status of legislative proposals pertaining to women’s basketball considered in the 2007-08 annual legislative cycle.

8. NCAA Bylaws 17.5.3.1 (a) and 17.5.5.3 (j) – Playing and Practice Seasons—Basketball—First Contest Exceptions and Annual Exemptions--Informal practice scrimmages. The committee learned that individuals within the Division I membership have questioned whether the current legislation, which permits an informal practice scrimmage prior to the first legislated contest date and is considered an annual exemption from the maximum number of contests, provided they are conducted in privacy without publicity or official scoring, is having the intended result. Committee members shared a variety of opinions noting, some programs have traveled long distances to conduct such scrimmages, but offered no recommendation to change the current legislation. The committee encouraged the WBCA to solicit additional feedback on this issue from its coaching community.

9. Issues from the Summer Evaluation Periods. The group reviewed a report from an NCAA staff group that examined issues associated with summer evaluations in basketball. Issues of concern, referenced in the report, included that there are no background checks for event operators/directors of certified events/leagues and the cost of coaches’ packets at evaluation events continues to escalate. Of particular interest to the committee was the apparent problem of non-scholastic coaches threatening to restrict access of collegiate coaches to prospects if institutions do not hire these non-scholastic coaches to work camps. The committee asked that the issue of the undue influence of non-scholastic coaches be placed on the next meeting agenda and that in the interim a small group of committee members develop principles to assist in shaping the values of this future discussion.

10. Youth Basketball Initiative. The committee was informed that the NCAA, along with the NBA, has announced a wide-ranging initiative designed to provide more structure to youth basketball. This initiative is intended to benefit everyone who participates in youth basketball programs and will not only focus on enhancing the participants’ basketball skills but, will also stress the importance of academic preparation and life skills. The committee members expressed strong support of this initiative and noted this effort could positively enhance the skill development of youth basketball participants and the overall evolvement of women’s basketball.

11. Report from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The committee received a report from Beth Bass, Chief Executive Officer of the WBCA, in which she:

a. Foresight Committee Process. Noted the Association wants to ensure its coaches are included in the legislative process and that the Association speaks “with one voice.” She reviewed the Association’s process for proposing new legislation, prior to the submission of any legislation to the Women’s Basketball Issues Committee and noted that of the 22 legislative concepts reviewed by the coaches under this process, only two have been advanced for consideration by the Women’s Basketball Issues Committee.

b. Development Efforts. Discussed initiatives designed to “grow talent” within the game, including student-athletes, coaches and media representatives.

c. Pink Zone. Highlighted the WBCA successful Think Pink/Pink Zone initiative, which to date, has raised one million dollars to help fight breast cancer. She noted that this initiative has involved over 1200 institutions and shows that women’s basketball can successfully raise awareness of relevant health issues.

12. Update on the Division I Women’s Basketball National Officiating Program. The committee received a report regarding the national women’s basketball officiating improvement program’s continued effort to strive to educate officials and develop more consistency regarding the application of the rules. The committee learned that the program includes a Website replete with examinations, rules interpretations and points of emphasis, in addition to officiating clinics and performance standards.

13. Report from the Division I Women’s Basketball Rules Committee. The committee was informed that the Women’s Basketball Rules Committee recommended several rules changes for 2008 at its recently concluded meeting. Committee members were provided an opportunity to ask questions and learned that the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) will review the proposed changes in June for publication of supported changes in August.

14. Report of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. The committee was provided an overview of the recently concluded 2008 Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, which was perceived to be a great success, highlighted by a large number of compelling matchups in early rounds and helped by a change in the bracketing format. The committee was informed that this was the most viewed tournament in the championship’s history on ESPN and ESPN2 and that attendance was substantially increased during preliminary-round competition. During the course of this discussion, it was noted that increased regular season coverage and ratings on a variety of platforms was enhanced and resulted in increased viewership of the Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.