Division I delegates will have the opportunity to hear an update and provide initial input on potential changes to name, image and likeness rules at the 2020 NCAA Convention in Anaheim, California.
In the Association’s continuing efforts to support college athletes, the NCAA Board of Governors last fall voted unanimously to permit students participating in athletics the opportunity to benefit from the use of their names, images and likenesses in a manner consistent with the collegiate model. Each division now is working toward modernizing its rules to allow the additional flexibility within principles and guidelines set by the Board of Governors.
Division I members will hear from both the Board of Governors Federal and State Legislation Working Group and members of the Division I Name, Image and Likeness Legislative Solutions Group at a closed session scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23. Representatives will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input. Working groups will review the input as they develop concepts for full membership consideration over the spring and summer.
Division I Council
Athletes designated as elite by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and national governing bodies could receive developmental training expenses, including travel for parents, guardians, coaches and sport experts if the Division I Council adopts legislation at the 2020 NCAA Convention.
The Council will meet Jan. 22 in Anaheim.
The new flexibility for elite athletes comes after a study of the financial realities for elite athletes in all sports conducted by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. The study found the average college swimmer, for example, from 2013 to 2017 had an annual financial gap of $17,000. Allowing additional flexibility will benefit the elite athletes both physically and emotionally as they prepare for international competition.
The change would be effective immediately.
The Council also will vote on multiple-team event legislation for men’s basketball that it introduced into the cycle last summer. The rule change originated with the Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, which reaffirmed its support last fall.
Division I legislation set for consideration at the 2020 NCAA Convention
| Proposal | Source | What would change |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 — Grad assistant rules in football | Big 12 Conference | Would allow a graduate assistant coach to receive four complimentary tickets to any of a school’s intercollegiate athletics events |
| 2019-27 — Phone calls surrounding National Letter of Intent date — football | Atlantic Coast Conference | Would allow coaches to make unlimited phone calls to prospects starting the Sunday before until 48 hours after 7 a.m. on the initial signing date of the National Letter of Intent |
| 2019-31 — Recruiting evaluations | Mid-American Conference | Would change how multiple contests in multiple-day events count against recruiting limits |
| 2019-32 — Employment of prospective student-athletes | Atlantic Coast Conference | Would eliminate the distinction between athletics award winners and nonathletics award winners for employment of prospective student-athletes |
| 2019-33 — Recruiting materials | Mid-American Conference | Would allow schools to provide personalized video/audio materials to prospects who have committed to a school in writing |
| 2019-35 — Recruiting visits | Atlantic Coast Conference | Would adjust the dates for first official and unofficial visits for prospects in specific sports who attend schools with nontraditional calendars |
| 2019-36 — Football official visit limits | Big Ten and Big 12 conferences | Would adjust the dates for counting official visits in football |
| 2019-39 — Recruiting visits | The Ivy League | Would allow a nonathletics department to arrange a meeting with a coach if a prospective student-athlete is on campus for a visit not paid for by athletics |
| 2019-58 — Women’s basketball recruiting | Atlantic Coast Conference | Would clarify the March contact period and the dead periods surrounding the women’s basketball championship |
| 2019-63 — Cross country/track and field recruiting | Southern Conference | Would create a dead period during the preliminary rounds of the outdoor track and field championships |
| 2019-66 — Progress-toward-degree requirements | Atlantic Coast Conference | Would provide for a waiver of progress-toward-degree requirements for student-athletes who participate in final tryouts for elite world competitions |
| 2019-70 — Summer financial aid | Atlantic Coast Conference | Would allow student-athletes to receive summer financial aid if the student ever received athletics aid or will for the following year |
| 2019-72 — Financial aid replacement, specific sports | Southeastern Conference | Would allow cross country, soccer, track and field, and men’s water polo to replace midyear graduates who remain enrolled but don’t compete without making the second student-athlete a counter for the rest of the academic year |
| 2019-74 — Football walk-throughs | Atlantic Coast Conference | Would allow the use of footballs during a walk-through |
| 2019-89 — Men’s soccer calendar | Big Ten Conference | Would move the first men’s soccer competition to the Thursday before the 12th weekend before the start of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship |
| 2019-103 — Equity, diversity and inclusion review | Division I Council | Would allow the Strategic Vision and Planning Committee to set a penalty for a school that fails to complete an equity, diversity and inclusion review at least once every five years |
| 2019-104 — Student-athlete health and safety survey | Division I Council | Would allow the Strategic Vision and Planning Committee to set a penalty for a school that fails to complete the student-athlete health and safety survey |
| 2019-105 — Athletics diversity and inclusion designee | Division I Council | Would require schools to designate an athletics diversity and inclusion representative to be the primary contact at the school on such issues |
| 2019-106 — Paralympic and Parapan American Games and Paralympic Teams | Division I Council | Would make all legislation applicable to Olympic Games and Olympic teams and athletes also apply to Paralympic Games and Paralympic teams |
| 2019-107 — Training expenses for elite athletes | Division I Council | Would allow elite athletes to accept additional training expenses without jeopardizing their eligibility |
| 2019-110 — Men’s basketball recruiting | Division I Council | Would set specific dates for counting official visits for high school juniors in men’s basketball |
| 2019-111 — NCAA College Basketball Academy | Division I Council | Would allow the NCAA to use recruiting or scouting services in conjunction with selection for the NCAA College Basketball Academy |
| 2019-112 — NCAA College Basketball Academy | Division I Council | Would allow noncoaching staff members from host schools and conference offices to be employed in administrative roles at the academies |
| 2019-113 — Men’s basketball recruiting calendar | Division I Council | Would adjust recruiting calendar designations around the NCAA College Basketball Academy |
| 2019-115 — Transfer rules | Division I Council | Would expand the transferable math requirements for two-year transfers who were nonqualifiers or academic redshirts |
| 2019-120 — Summer financial aid | Division I Council | Would allow schools to provide athletically related financial aid to transfers in the summer before initial full-time enrollment so the student can complete percentage-of-degree requirements |
| 2019-121 — Exception for elite athletes in time limits for athletically related activities | Division I Council | Would allow elite athletes to participate in individual workout sessions conducted by coaches without it counting, so long as the student-athlete requests the workout and doesn’t miss class |
| 2019-123 — Men’s basketball multiple-team events | Division I Council | Would change how multiple-team events count against the number of regular-season contests allowed |
| 2019-123-1 — Men’s basketball multiple-team events | Missouri Valley, Atlantic 10, Big Sky, Big South, Mid-American, Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences | Would eliminate the options for a two-game multiple-team event in men’s basketball |
| 2019-125 — Women’s golf annual exemption | Division I Council | Would exempt the Augusta National Women’s Amateur from the maximum dates of competition |
| 2019-127 — Men’s basketball transfer rules | Division I Council | Would allow transfer student-athletes who began at a four-year school, transferred to a two-year school and then back to a four-year school to participate in a June intercollegiate event |
| 2019-128 — Infractions Appeals Committee | Division I Council | Would increase the number of members and specify composition of the Infractions Appeals Committee |
| 2019-133 — Membership requirements | Division I Council | Would allow the Strategic Vision and Planning Committee to set a penalty for a multidivisional school that fails to complete a compliance review |
| 2019-134 — Championship advertising policies | Division I Council | Would move restrictions on advertising and sponsorship activities in conjunction with NCAA championships from legislation to NCAA policy |
