Indiana University. Athletics Committee

The Athletics Committee was established by the Indiana University Board of Trustees in 1933 as the successor to the Athletic Board of Control.

The committee was given the responsibility to recommend policy relative to the conduct of intercollegiate athletics, vote on Conference and NCAA legislation, approve the budget of the Athletic Department and selection of the Director, enforce eligibility rules, control ticket pricing and seating allocation, recommend facility expansion, approve broadcast contracts, determine athletic awards policy, and make an annual report on athletics to the Faculty Council. The Board of Trustees also established procedures for the selection of a Faculty Representative to the Big Ten Conference and designated that this person would also serve as chair of the Athletics Committee.

From the description of Indiana University Athletics Committee records, 1939-1965. (Indiana University). WorldCat record id: 37023153

The “Big Ten” Intercollegiate Faculty Athletics Committee was formed on January 11, 1895. Indiana University became a member of the Committee in 1899. The Indiana University Athletics Committee is made up of faculty, alumni, and more recently students. The committee has varied in size over the years but one constant has been that faculty make up a majority of the membership and a faculty member who is not employed by the Athletic Department serves as chairman. This allows Indiana University to comply with the Intercollegiate Conference (“Big Ten”) requirements that demands that members maintain “faculty control” over athletics. Faculty members of the Athletics Committee are voted on by the faculty. The chairman is appointed by the President of the University and serves both as the chairman of the Athletics Committee and faculty representative to the Intercollegiate Conference.

The responsibilities of the Indiana University Athletics Committee fall into seven broad categories: 1) eligibility rules, 2) student requirements, 3) practice session rules, 4) recruitment rules, 5) ethics, 6) post-season competition and 7) televised sports. Further delineation of duties include: recommending policy concerning the conduct of intercollegiate athletics; voting on conference and NCAA legislation; enforcing conference eligibility rules through the athletic director, coaches and other members of the Athletic Department administration; approving the annual budget of the Athletic Department; approving television and radio contracts recommended by the athletic director; advising (with the athletic director and the University architect) on facilities expansion; determining awards policy (varsity letters, etc.); approving what sports will be part of the intercollegiate athletic program; and controlling ticket pricing, policy, sales, promotion and seating allocations.

The Indiana University Athletics Committee answers to the faculty while its chairman, in the role of faculty representative to the Intercollegiate Conference, answers directly to the president of the University. The Committee also works with the athletic director. The athletic director is responsible for running the athletic program and policy issues are the main concern of the Athletics Committee. The Committee meets with student senate representatives concerning student interests, and with the athletic director regarding policy. The Committee also receives reports from the faculty representative to the Intercollegiate Conference concerning relations with the Conference and makes reports to the faculty senate.

The Faculty Representative to the Intercollegiate Conference meets with other conference representatives at regular meetings (usually held the first week of December, the first week of March, and the last week of May) and special meetings throughout the year. These meetings of the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives are often held in conjunction with meetings of the conference of athletic directors, and occasionally with the Council of Ten (which consists of presidents of the various member institutions).

From the guide to the Indiana University Athletics Committee records, 1939-1965, (Indiana University Office of University Archives and Records Management http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives)