GENERAL: More From The NCAA On Season-Shortening, Contest-Cutting Measures

Writing for the NCAA, Gary Brown has outlined a story that is gaining more and more attention about potentially shortening seasons and/or cutting down the number of contests to make intercollegiate athletics less taxing on student-athletes and more economically sound. With the economy being what it is, and with more of a desire to emphasize student in student-athlete a little more, this kind of a proposal should not be a big surprise.

Here is the NCAA story:

DENVER – The Division II Management Council has moved a package of season-shortening and contest-cutting measures in eight sports for the Presidents Council to sponsor as 2010 Convention legislation.

After a two-hour, gut-check discussion as to whether this “Life in the Balance” package aptly balances a charge from presidents to align Division II policy with practice and a plea from student-athletes to protect competition, Council members voted unanimously to support proposals that:

• Reduce contests in men’s and women’s soccer (from 20 to 18), field hockey (from 20 to 18), women’s volleyball (from 28 to 26), baseball (from 56 to 50), men’s and women’s golf (from 24 dates to 21) and softball (by eliminating the tournament exception).
• Reduce the length of seasons in soccer, volleyball, field hockey and cross country by allowing student-athletes to report 17 days before the first permissible contest (which cannot be before the Thursday preceding September 6) or five days before the start of classes, whichever is earlier. Those dates are about a week later than current legislation.
• Football student-athletes could begin their preseason practice activities either 21 days before the first permissible contest date in Division II (which also couldn’t be before the Thursday preceding September 6) or seven days before the start of classes at the institution, whichever is earlier. The Division II Championships Committee approved a policy change (contingent on the adoption of the proposals) to move the football championship back one week to accommodate the later reporting dates.

Check out the full story for background information and comments from individuals involved with the proposals by visiting the NCAA Web site.