Posted on: Friday, April 30, 2004

NCAA
Schools' graduation rate will be monitored

Advertiser Staff and News Services

The NCAA approved a sweeping package of academic reforms yesterday that will penalize schools starting in 2006 if athletes perform too poorly in the classroom.

"This is the beginning of a sea of change in college sports," NCAA president Myles Brand said. "Landmark legislation was passed to ensure each and every student-athlete has a genuine opportunity to receive a high quality education and graduate."

Athletes will have to stay above a still-undetermined graduation rate for schools to avoid punishment. The reforms will apply to every NCAA Division I program, including the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

Brand said graduation targets for each school are being calculated. The graduation rate "cut line" would be the same in all sports.

"Any change that involves getting more kids to graduate is a good one," UH head basketball coach Riley Wallace said.

In another rule change affecting men's basketball, the board rescinded the "5-8" rule, which restricted schools to awarding no more than five new scholarships in one year, or eight in two years. That rule change is effective immediately.

Because of the 5-8 rule, the UH men's basketball team has only 10 scholarship players on its roster for next season. The NCAA maximum is 13.

"We'll look at bringing in one more player (for next season)," Wallace said. "And for the future years, we can bring in more than five if we need to."

The board also ruled yesterday that major colleges will no longer be allowed to schedule exhibition men's basketball games against non-collegiate opponents, such as foreign teams or AAU clubs.

Hawai'i, for example, can no longer play the EA Sports California All-Stars as it has done for the past several years.

The measure was designed to eliminate possible advantages some schools might have in recruiting by playing exhibition games against teams that could include prospective college players.