Tuesday, October 31, 2006; E02
In a task-force report released yesterday by NCAA President Myles Brand , Division I schools were encouraged to rein in spending on sports -- but there aren't any requirements everyone must adhere to or punishments if they don't.
The report's release comes as the NCAA is preparing its response to an Oct. 3 letter from Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Thomas asked the NCAA to justify its tax-exempt status.
Antitrust laws prevent the NCAA from mandating how much schools can spend, Brand said, adding that because each situation is different, it wouldn't make sense for there to be broad rules covering sports budgets.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, Brand insisted there is no fiscal crisis in Division I college sports, but he did say there is "clearly stress in the system and the stress is almost certain to increase without corrective action."
While general university spending rises about 3 to 4 percent annually, spending on Division I sports is rising as much as 12 percent, Brand said.
· BOXING: A woman involved in a long-running land dispute with former heavyweight boxing champion Trevor Berbick has been detained for questioning in connection with his death, according to police in Kingston, Jamaica.
Authorities said the woman was the mother of a 20-year-old suspect arrested on Sunday. Berbick's body was found Saturday in a church courtyard with chop wounds to the back of his head.
· OLYMPICS: The European Broadcasting Union in Geneva protested the IOC's decision to hold some Olympic swimming and gymnastics finals during the morning at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The International Olympic Committee announced the changes last week in a concession to NBC, but the EBU said the timing of the finals will put them in the middle of the night in Europe. The events will be shown during prime-time in the Americas.
· SOCCER: The United States accepted an invitation to play in next year's Copa America from June 26 to July 15 in Venezuela, returning to the South American soccer championship for the first time since 1995, when it finished fourth.
· AUTO RACING: NASCAR officials are investigating whether Robby Gordon intentionally threw debris on the racetrack to cause a caution at Atlanta Motor Speedway. NASCAR called for a caution about 35 laps from the finish of Sunday's race because a piece of roll bar padding was on the track. The timing hurt Jeff Burton , who was a lap down because of an earlier incident. He wound up 13th and demanded an investigation.
Gordon benefited from the caution because he was the first car not on the lead lap. That gave him NASCAR's "free pass" to get back on the lead lap, and he finished 10th.
-- From News Services
