Media Guide Legislation Passes First Round

During the fall, Division I sports information directors were made aware of two pieces of legislation to eliminate media guides as a recruiting tool. In both cases, the legislation has passed with a new twist to the whole situation.

At the NCAA Convention, the Management Council passed 2003-32 that spelled out what a coach could send to a recruit, eliminating media guides/sport specific recruiting brochures from the list. Also, 2003-88, which was seen as a back-up to 2003-32 if it did not pass, also made it through the council.

The new twist comes with 2003-88. When the council questioned the sponsoring organization as the intent of the legislation, the spokesperson stated the goal was to eliminate the printing of all media guides for recruits and the media.

A strict reading of 2003-88 does not spell out the elimination of media guides for the media, but the council is inferring the elimination because of the intent of the sponsoring organization.

With the passing of the legislation in January, the proposals will have a second reading at the April 19-20 meeting of the Management Council. If they pass here, they go to the Division I Board of Directors for final approval on April 29. The proposals, if passed, would go into effect in August 2004.

Here are the positions sports information directors are facing at this time.

  1. If you wish to have media guides/recruiting brochures eliminated from the list of permissible items that can be sent to a potential student athlete but wish to print media guides strictly for the media, then you need to urge your athletic director and conference to support 2003-32.
  2. If you wish to eliminate the printing of media guides all together, urge your athletic director and conference to support both 2003-32 and 2003-88.
  3. If you wish to leave things as the status quo, urge the defeat of both 2003-32 and 2003-88.

It has been suggested that CoSIDA President Tammy Boclair write a letter to the chair of the governance council to spell out the concerns of the sports information directors. The hope is that if the council and the board are determined to cut printing costs that they would understand the bad position they are putting us in by eliminating one of the tools we used to deal with the media.

More information will be released as it becomes available.