The Southeastern Conference’s Presidents and Chancellors, in a continuing effort to address growing national concern related to academic integrity, have approved a structured process to strengthen the review of academic records of prospective student-athletes, the league announced today. "Academic credibility is a growing concern in intercollegiate athletics," said University of Georgia President Dr. Michael F. Adams. "Prospective student-athletes have to show a record of academic performance that would indicate the ability to do college work."

The SEC’s process implements the shared responsibility approach, emphasized by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, requiring each university to develop a process for reviewing the academic credentials of prospective student-athletes. The membership of the committee will be reported annually to the University’s president or chancellor and to the Commissioner of the SEC.

This process will be triggered when there is a substantial increase in college entrance examination test scores, or if certain concerns are identified on a prospect’s high school or prep school transcript.

The SEC’s proposal establishes the initiation and methodology of the process to be used when conducting an institutional review of academic credentials presented for the purpose of determining initial eligibility for participation in intercollegiate athletics.

The SEC has been at the forefront in national efforts to deal with "diploma mills" and non-traditional high schools lacking proper academic credentials. In April, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved measures intended to strengthen the review of academic records used to establish the initial eligibility of prospective student-athletes. Included in the Board’s action was a statement of shared responsibility, which is intended to communicate the need for active institutional and conference oversight of the initial eligibility process. The Southeastern Conference addressed these concerns in a letter to NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand in November, 2005, requesting that the NCAA seriously delve into the issue of non-traditional high schools and "diploma mills." " This has been a growing issue of national concern, "said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive." The SEC Presidents and Chancellors have shown a desire to take a leadership role in an effort to make sure that prospective student-athletes not only excel in their athletic endeavors but also in the classroom. " Following the review process, a report on each prospective student-athlete will be forwarded to the institution’s President or Chancellor for final determination of enrollment and eligibility status. The report will then be forwarded to the Commissioner, and will include the committee’s report and the final determination by the President or Chancellor. The Commissioner shall review the institution’s report and has the authority to declare the studentathlete ineligible for competition in the Southeastern Conference.

2005-2006 SEC Revenue Distrbution The Southeastern Conference will distribute approximately $116.1 million to the 12 league institutions in the revenue sharing plan for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31, 2006, according to league commissioner Mike Slive.

The $116.1 million is the highest total ever distributed in SEC history and represents a 4.4 percent increase from the $110.7 million distributed to the schools in 2004-2005.

The revenue sharing plans include money generated by football television, bowls, the SEC Football Championship, basketball television, the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament and NCAA Championships.

Broken down by categories and rounded off, the $116.1 million was derived from $47.4 million from football television, $20.7 million from bowls, $13.2 million from the SEC Football Championship, $12.1 million from basketball television, $4.4 million from the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament and $18.3 million from NCAA Championships.

The average amount distributed to each school which participated in all revenue sharing was $9.68 million.

Not included in the $116.1 million was $7.3 million retained by the institutions participating in bowls and $696,000 divided among all 12 institutions by the NCAA for academic enhancement.

Other yearly money distributions, since 1980, are as follows: 1980 ($4.1 million); 1981 ($5.57 million); 1982 ($7.24 million); 1983 ($9.53 million); 1984 ($18.4 million); 1985 ($9.34 million); 1986 ($13.1 million); 1987 ($13.56 million); 1988 ($14.34 million); 1989 ($13.85 million); 1990 ($16.3 million); 1991 ($20.6 million); 1992 ($27.7 million); 1993 ($34.34 million); 1994 ($34.36 million); 1995 ($40.3 million); 1996 ($45.5 million); 1997 ($58.9 million); 1998 ($61.2 million); 1999 ($68.5 million); 2000 ($73.2 million); 2001 ($78.1 million); 2002 ($95.7 million); 2003 ($101.9 million); 2004 ($108.8 million); 2005 ($110.7 million) and 2006 ($116.1 million).-SEC-