Minutes of the Presidential Committee on Athletics

Big Ten/Iowa Room, Carver-Hawkeye Arena

March 12, 2013

Members Present: Baker, Chung, Cox, Hines, Hollingworth, Hovren, Jones, Lee, O’Deen, Parkin, Westefeld, and Zaharis.

Members Absent: Eko, Hammer, Herman, Lomax, Moorhead, O’Hara, and Weinstein.

Also Present: Beach, Assistant VP of Business Services; Barta, Director of Athletics; Meyer, Senior Associate Athletics Director; Curtis, Jantz, and Mims, Associate Athletics Directors; and, N.Parker, Interim Director of Athletics Student Services.

Guests Present: Big Ten Advisory Commission Representative Robert Smith and Head Men’s Gymnastics Coach J.D. Reive.

The meeting was brought to order by Chair Hines at 4:19 p.m.

I.  Welcome to Coach J.D. Reive, Men’s Gymnastics

Head Coach J.D. Reive was introduced to PCA by Chair Hines. Coach Reive reported the season is going very well with recent wins against Minnesota, Illinois, and Nebraska.

The team will compete against Nebraska again on March 16, 2013. The final home meet is March30, 2013, against the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Coach Reive addressed the current status of men’s gymnastics nationally. Currently, there are 17 Division I programs. Male gymnasts use their college athletic careers to springboard to NCAA or Olympic competition.

Questions addressed to Coach included the recent NCAA rule change pertaining to his sport, the number of seniors graduating this year, U.S. Gymnastics’ financial support of gymnasts competing for the national team, etc.

Coach Reive emphasizes with his gymnasts that being good students goes hand-in-hand with being good student-athletes. He thanked the PCA for all they do to help the program. ChairHines thanked Coach for his report.

II. Announcements

The next PCA meeting is Thursday, April 11, 2013.


III. Approval of Minutes

Chair Hines called for a motion to approve the February 14, 2013, minutes. Hollingworth moved to approve; Westefeld seconded the motion. Full approval was granted by Committee members.

IV. Old Business

Standing Subcommittee Reports
A. Academic Achievement Subcommittee - Cox

No report.

B. Equity Subcommittee - Hollingworth

No report.

C. Executive Subcommittee - Chair Hines

Enclosed is the agenda from today’s meeting.

D. Student Athlete Welfare Subcommittee - Moorhead

No report.

V. New Business

A.  Update on Activities of the Equity Subcommittee - Hollingworth

Equity Subcommittee members conducted their annual interviews with head coaches in men’s and women’s track/cross country, men’s gymnastics, field hockey, football, women’s golf, and rowing. HeadWomen’s Gymnastics Coach Libby will be interviewed as soon as her season ends. The interviews provide subcommittee members with valuable information on race and gender as it relates to student-athletes and the coaching staff. It also provides members with a general synopsis of the season and identifies any issues that might need to be addressed by the subcommittee.

Hollingworth praised Jennifer Modestou, Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, for providing subcommittee members with equity hiring reports. These reports provide valuable information about The University of Iowa as well as data from other Big Ten institutions.

Thanks were extended to Hollingworth by Chair Hines for her presentation today.

B. Guest Speaker - Robert Smith, Jr., Big Ten Advisory Commission

Robert Smith briefed the Committee on his background. Smith came to Iowa as the first Texas high school athlete recruited by Coach Hayden Fry. He came from a single-parent home and experienced some adjustment problems at the outset, but made his mark on the football field and graduated in four years. He met his wife here, decided to make his family home in Waterloo, and became an outstanding citizen of our state, all the time openly crediting The University of Iowa with preparing him for lifetime success and changing his life for the better.

Smith has been a member of the Big Ten Advisory Commission for eight years. Attached is a document defining the role and purpose of this group and includes a letter from Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany denoting the importance of the Big Ten Advisory Commission. Meetings alternate between the Big Ten Conference office and a member institution’s campus allowing each school to host the Commission on a rotating schedule. The group consists of 11 members, five of whom are females. The meeting at the Conference office this year gives Commission members the opportunity to meet with the Big Ten Student Athlete Advisory Council which consists of one student-athlete from each Big Ten institution. A representative from the Big Ten Advisory Commission reports to the Big Ten Joint Group annually.

Information from student-athlete interviews, conducted by the Athletics Student Services staff, is provided to Smith. He reviews the data and shares any concerns with Big Ten Advisory Commission members to improve student-athletes’ lives and experiences.

On behalf of the PCA, Chair Hines thanked Smith for sharing his story and for the insightful look into his work on the Commission.

VI. Big Ten/NCAA Legislation and Issues - Barta, Meyer, and Parkin

A. Barta stated of the 26 legislative proposals presented to the NCAA Board of Directors, the Board has recently decided to table two items until May, 2013. The first concerns who can recruit on a campus; the second deals with materials that can be used in recruiting.

B. Discussion is ongoing regarding the NCAA proposals addressing new admission eligibility requirements.

VII. Iowa Student Athlete Advisory Committee (ISAAC) - Hovren

A. ISAAC’s constitution is being drafted.

B. Planning is underway for the student-athlete talent show which will take place Tuesday, April 16, 2013, at 7:00 p.m., Main Lounge, IMU. ISAAC members are planning to invite coaches and Athletics’ staff members to this event. If the event continues to be a success, they will consider inviting the public to attend.

VIII. Director’s Report - Barta

A.  The March sports report and schedules are enclosed. Highlights follow:

1.  Barta congratulated swimmer Emily Hovren for setting school records in the 800 freestyle relay and in the 200 individual medley.

2.  The women’s gymnastics won against Iowa State on Friday, March 8, 2013, clinched the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The University of Iowa also receives the academic point because the student-athlete graduation rate was greater than the national average.

3.  Head Softball Coach Marla Looper is coaching her third season at The University of Iowa. Wins over Stanford, Oregon State, Maryland, and Ohio State took place.

4.  The women’s tennis team beat Illinois.

5.  The Hawkeye wrestlers placed third at the Big Ten Championships. Nine wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, IA, March 21-23, 2013.

6.  The women’s basketball team is waiting to hear if they will be invited to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Women’s Selection show airs Monday, March18, at 6:00p.m. CDT, on ESPN. If invited, this will be their fifth straight appearance.

7.  The average attendance at men’s basketball games reached a ten-year high this past season. The men were 9-9 overall and will play against Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament, March 14-17 2013, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The event is sold out.

B. Barta and his staff are continuing to formulate their next five-year Strategic Plan. He and his staff will work with PCA subcommittees and will present a completed draft of the document to the full PCA later this year.

C. Discussion continues at the Big Ten Conference level regarding the integration of Maryland and Rutgers.

D. Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz has hired three assistant football coaches. Barta thanks PCA members for serving on those search committees. Chair Hines expressed his gratitude as well.

E. Football season ticket renewal is underway. The response has been positive.

IX. Adjourn

Westefeld moved to adjourn; Hollingworth seconded the motion. The meeting was adjourned by Chair Hines at 5:07 p.m.

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Rae Parker

Recording Secretary

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