Iowa State University

12-20-95
Contacts:
Martin Jischke, President, (515) 294-2042
John Anderson, University Relations, (515) 294-6136

BIG 12 CEOs VOTE NEW ELIGIBILITY
RULES EMPHASIZING ACADEMICS

AMES, Iowa -- In a conference call today (Dec. 20), all 12 Big 12 Conference chief executive officers unanimously approved a measure stipulating that no Big 12 university will accept student-athletes who do not qualify for admission under current NCAA rules. In the past, some Big 12 institutions have allowed "non-qualifiers" to enroll.

Big 12 chief executive officers also adopted unanimously a rule stipulating that Big 12 universities will accept no more than two male and two female student-athletes who are "partial qualifiers," according to NCAA rules, with no more than one student-athlete in any sport.

In addition, by an 11-1 vote, Big 12 presidents and chancellors agreed that the rules will be in effect for all student-athletes entering conference universities in the summer of 1996 and thereafter.

"I believe this is a major step forward for the Big 12 Conference," said Iowa State University President Martin Jischke, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Big 12 Conference. "It represents clear, decisive, united action on the importance of high academic standards for our student- athletes. This action is an important part in the process of establishing the Big 12 as the premier intercollegiate athletic conference in the United States."

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