Have you ever read an NCAA interpretation or legislative proposal and thought to yourself, “This will be difficult to monitor” or “This legislation will raise more questions than answers?” If you have, then we have good news! As a member of NAAC you now have the opportunity to provide significant input on legislative proposals and interpretive issues, which impact all of us as compliance professionals.

The NAAC Legislation and Governance Committee’s mission is to give a voice for NAAC membership in matters related to NCAA legislation and governance. The Committee is working to achieve this goal by providing NAAC input to a variety of NCAA governance entities on nationally significant legislative and interpretive issues. As part of that effort, NAAC is establishing working relationships with NCAA Cabinets, the Interpretations Leadership Team (ILT), the Legislative Review and Interpretations Committee (LRIC), coaches associations and other groups in order to work collaboratively on legislative and interpretive issues of interest to compliance professionals. This Committee is compromised of experienced individuals from 11 Division I institutions and conferences with representation from the Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision and Division I institutions that do not sponsor football. Additionally, a director of academic & membership affairs from the NCAA national office also serves on the Committee. These committee members have done an outstanding job of carrying out our mission by soliciting and organizing NAAC membership feedback on legislative proposals and interpretive issues and communicating these thoughts and opinions to the NCAA.

In June, the Committee met to formulate goals for the 2009-10 year. These goals primarily focused on our main objective, which is to provide the compliance perspective on how nationally relevant legislative proposals and interpretive issues will impact member institutions.

The Committee is focused on a number of strategies to accomplish our goals, including:
• Identifying legislative concepts important to NAAC members and working with conferences/cabinets to get these concepts into the legislative cycle;
• Obtaining NAAC membership comments on 2009-10 legislative proposals and providing these comments to the Division I Legislative Council;
• Continuing to develop working relationships with NCAA Cabinets and coaches associations;
• Identifying interpretive issues of national significance, soliciting NAAC feedback through NAAC’s Web tool (www.NAACConnect.com) and providing feedback and/or requesting clarification on interpretive issues from ILT or LRIC;
• Working with NCAA staff to develop “Q&A” documents or “best practice” guidelines for interpretations of new legislation and correct applications of new interpretations; and
• Developing a more formal working relationship with ILT and LRIC and serving as a resource for those entities on interpretive issues.

As we continue to work and grow as a committee, we will look to strengthen relationships with NCAA cabinets and committees to achieve the overarching objective of giving NAAC compliance professionals a voice in the legislative and interpretive process. To accomplish these objectives, NAAC needs your help! Compliance professionals possess a unique perspective on how proposed legislation will affect the daily operations of member institutions, and it is imperative for the compliance profession to seize this opportunity and provide meaningful feedback. Throughout the legislative cycle, this Committee will provide the NAAC membership with several surveys through www.NAACConnect.com, designed to solicit thoughtful and constructive input on legislative and interpretive issues. The Committee asks that you take these opportunities to draw on your experience and provide important insight as to how these issues impact your institutions, student-athletes, coaches, staffs and boosters.

So remember, the next time you have a concern about the impact of proposed legislation or a recently issued interpretation, you have a voice through the NAAC Legislation and Governance Committee. We look forward to hearing from you! Contact Committee Chair John Morris at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Committee member Kyle Brennan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Thanks for this article to Kyle Brennan, assistant athletics director for compliance at the University of Utah.