The memo below -- co-signed by the chair of the NCAA Board of Governors and the NCAA's president -- was disseminated across the membership today. It provides an update on the work of the Constitution Committee.Dear Colleagues:
On behalf of the NCAA Board of Governors, we wish to express our deep
appreciation for your engagement with the Constitution Committee thus far. We
recognize the numerous demands facing each of you every day and we are
grateful for your attention to the crucial issues facing college sports. We
are writing to share an update on the Constitution Committee and to outline
additional steps that will be required as we continue our work in
transforming NCAA governance.
As background, in a July
30 letter, the Board of Governors called for a Special Convention
and established a Constitution Committee, charged with preparing the
materials for this Convention, including a draft of a new constitution.
Twenty-eight members were appointed to the committee, representing all three
divisions. Robert M. Gates, former Secretary of Defense, former Texas A&M
president and an independent Board of Governors member is serving as chair.
The goal of a new constitution is to provide greater autonomy for each
division to unlock the ability to better support the needs of our
student-athletes. The Constitution Committee has been meeting since Aug. 17
and has engaged closely with the membership during this time. A survey was
sent to the membership in mid-August and the feedback received is informing the
deliberations of the committee.
The Special
Convention will be held virtually on Nov. 15. In the week prior to
the convention, a draft of a proposed new constitution will be shared with
the membership for review and consideration. The November convention will
provide an opportunity to share your feedback and to hear from others in the
membership about their views on the draft.
Following this convention, the committee will revise concepts as needed,
provide another opportunity for membership feedback, and complete its work by
submitting final recommendations to the Board of Governors by Dec. 15.
Following the presentation of this new constitution, members will have
opportunities to submit additional changes in accord with the current
Association rules. We intend to have membership votes at the NCAA annual
meeting in Indianapolis.
As the committee began its work, it became clear that there was more to be
done outside of their charge to implement the transformational changes that
are needed to improve the Association. This realization can be outlined in a
two-step process. The ratification of a new constitution in January is the
essential first step in the process of transforming the governance of the
NCAA. A new constitution will provide divisions the flexibility they need to
act on the second step, which will require that each division review the
rules governing the division to ensure that changes are consistent with the
principles agreed upon in the new constitution.
This second step will be the responsibility of the governance structures of
each division. The Division I Board of Directors will oversee the rewriting
of the rules governing Division I and the Division II Presidents Council and
the Division III Presidents Council will each have the responsibility for the
respective divisions. The work of rewriting rules for each division must be
completed by August 2022, in time for the start of the new academic year.
The Board of Governors will be working with the leaders of the respective
divisional governing bodies to ensure the processes are in place to engage in
the work of rewriting the bylaws and rules in accordance with the new
constitution.
This two-step process, first, the ratification of a new constitution in
January, and second, the rewriting of the rules for each division by August
will enable us to realize the goal of transforming the governance of the NCAA
to better serve students.
We hope this update is helpful. On behalf of the Board of Governors, we are
profoundly grateful for your engagement in this urgent and important work to
transform the Association and we look forward to taking these next steps
together.
Sincerely,
Jack DeGioia
Chair of the NCAA Board of Governors
Mark Emmert
NCAA President |