Testing for All
The NCAA is set to require all student-athletes to undergo screening for the sickle-cell trait unless they provide proof of previous testing or sign a release declining the test. Sickle-cell is a genetic disorder believed to put those affected by it at higher risk for death during strenuous exercise. Eight football players who carried the trait have died during exercise since 2000.

"It's a step forward," said Scott Anderson, Head Athletic Trainer at the University of Oklahoma told The New York Times. "Expanding the margin of safety for the athletes in sport is the end goal, and screening has been a step towards that."

Anderson told the Times he was in favor of an earlier version of the proposal that allowed athletes to decline the test only by showing proof of a previous test. Opponents of mandatory testing believe it would single out players with the trait, but not necessarily prevent deaths. The measure will be reviewed by the Division I Board of Directors, and would go into effect in August.

Delaying Delayed Enrollment
In addressing amateurism, the council moved the effective date of the delayed-enrollment/organized-competition portion of an earlier proposal. According to The NCAA News, the measure loosens regulations prohibiting prospective student-athletes from participating on teams with teammates receiving more than actual and necessary expenses.

Student-athletes who delay enrollment after high school in order to compete with an organized team will have to sit out a year of NCAA competition for each year they spend competing on non-school teams. The measure will go into effect Aug. 1, 2011, in order to give institutions time to adjust to the rule. This measure hopes to emphasize the importance of academics and provide more uniform competitive opportunities for student-athletes before their college careers.

Camp Control
The council also altered a proposal that would have forced schools to hold institutional camps and clinics on or within 100 miles of campus. If this modified proposal passes after a 60-day override period, men's and women's basketball are the only sports required to keep camps close to campus.

The original proposal included all sports except football, and was a response to the belief that camps far from universities were held for recruiting purposes and thus put schools that could not afford to host clinics off-site at a disadvantage. The measure would also lessen costs and decrease travel for school employees who work the camps. Supporters of the modification argued that many schools had long held camps in distant locations and that keeping clinics near campus would help schools in metropolitan areas.

Kyle Garratt is an Assistant Editor at Athletic Management. He can be reached at kg@momentummedia.com