The NCAA's board of directors took no action today toward overriding a text messaging ban it approved in April, simply sending it back to the membership for another vote at January's annual NCAA convention. Until then, the rule that went into effect Aug. 1 will remain in place.

"The proposals were discussed in April and the board of directors followed the advice of student-athletes that text messaging be eliminated," Division I vice president David Berst said. "I think even then the board realized there might be a better solution than elimination but we haven't seen any yet."

At least 30 schools must request an appeal in writing to force the committee to reconsider.

The 18-member committee then has three options: To affirm the original decision, sending it back to the membership for another vote while the rule remains in place; overturning the ruling, wiping it off the books completely; or approving an emergency amendment to change the rule and possibly push back the date for implementation.

It takes a simple majority to overturn the ruling, but the committee took no vote and sent it to the full membership.

There is precedent for overturning board rulings at the convention. It has happened twice since 2006, when the NCAA adopted a new appeals process. But schools also voted four times not to change the rules.

When the ban was approved in April, the board uncharacteristically indicated it was willing to reconsider the issue possibly next year. Several proposals are being drafted, Berst said. One would allow coaches to text message student-athletes after they've signed a national letter-of-intent, but Berst wasn't sure that would be a good enough compromise.

"I think we're looking for a better answer than that," he said.

Many football coaches and assistant basketball coaches balked at the original decision.

Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, was the most outspoken opponent. He said he had not met with any of committee members but did send a letter expressing the group's opposition.

Jim Haney, Teaff's counterpart at the National Association of Basketball Coaches, remained neutral as the debate heated up this summer, in part because a fall survey of coaches showed nearly a 50-50 split on the issue.