The Division II Presidents Council agreed with the Division II Management Council on four membership-sponsored proposals that will come to a vote at the 2016 NCAA Convention.
At their meeting Wednesday and Thursday in Indianapolis, the presidents took the same stances their Management Council counterparts took last week on each piece of proposed legislation from membership, voting to support two of the proposals and oppose the other two.
The first proposal that received support would allow a student-athlete who has designated a specific degree program to use up to six credit hours per term earned in a voluntary or optional minor to fulfill progress-toward-degree requirements. The division’s Academic Requirements Committee also supports the proposal, which was brought forward by the Rocky Mountain Conference and the Peach Belt Conference. The Presidents Council agreed that the proposal would give student-athletes greater flexibility in their academic choices and allow them the same opportunities as their non-athlete peers.
The Presidents Council also supported a proposal that would allow student-athletes playing football to participate in no more than two hours of individual skill instruction outside of the playing season during the academic year. The proposal was brought forward by the South Atlantic Conference and a variety of Division II schools and also received support from the Championships Committee and the Legislation Committee. The legislation would not increase the number of hours of athletic activity a football player can participate in outside of the playing season, and it would not permit person-to-person contact. However, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sport opposed the proposal due to the potential strain it could have on sports medicine staff.
The two membership-sponsored proposals that did not receive the presidents’ support – one that would allow conference challenge events in baseball, softball and women’s volleyball and another that would change the start date of preseason basketball practices – sparked a discussion about the Division II philosophy of balancing academics and athletics and where to draw the line with playing and practice seasons. “In our society, mission creep happens,” said Judy Bense, president of the University of West Florida and chair of the Presidents Council. “If we don’t rigidly set boundaries, it’s all talk. We are the gatekeepers.”
Strength and conditioning coach certification
The Presidents Council reaffirmed its support for a proposal addressing the certification of strength and conditioning coaches in Division II. The proposal would require any person designated as a school’s strength and conditioning coach to be nationally certified. If a school does not designate a strength and conditioning coach, any person who conducts strength and conditioning workouts would need to be certified.
The presidents stressed the importance of taking this next step to advocate for the health and safety of student-athletes. “Health and wellness is why the NCAA was started over 100 years ago,” Bense said. “Strength and conditioning is just another piece of the puzzle.”
The presidents also discussed the risk of avoiding the legislation. “We are a litigious society, so we need to be careful,” Bense said.
Other actions
- Elected Vice Chair Steve Scott, president of Pittsburg State University, to replace Bense as chair when her term ends in 2016.
- Elected Philip Kerstetter, president of the University of Mount Olive, and William LaForge, president of Delta State University, to fill seats on the Presidents Council in 2016.
- Approved a variety of Management Council elections, including naming Jacqie McWilliams, commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, as chair of the Management Council in 2016.