CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The annual Big South Conference Council of Chief Executive Officers was held on Thursday, May 29 at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C., in conjunction with the League’s Annual Spring Meetings and Hall of Fame Banquet.  NCAA President Myles Brand attended the meeting to discuss national issues of interest, including academic reform, commercialism and matters related to basketball.

Meanwhile, the following items were approved by the Council of Chief Executive Officers, and are effective beginning with the 2008-09 academic year:

• New Big South Conference member Presbyterian College -- which is transitioning to Division I and will receive full Division I status in 2011-12 -- will now be officially eligible for regular-season championships, all Conference honors/awards and will be included in all statistical reports developed by the Conference and distributed to the media, in all sports except football.  Presbyterian will not play a full Conference schedule in football in 2008.

• The Conference will form an Ad Hoc Committee on Basketball Issues to analyze issues including academics, competitiveness, scheduling, the postseason tournaments, and other issues presented to the committee.

• The adoption of a courtside monitor system for men’s and women’s basketball to allow game officials to have monitor/replay access during the Conference’s video streamed games, duplicating the access available during televised games. 

• The Big South Board of Administrators will discuss and further define the term “taunting” as used in the Conference’s sportsmanship statement for events and in the Conference’s Ethical Conduct Policy.

• The election of Charleston Southern University Athletics Director Hank Small as chair of the Council of Athletics Directors for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

• The election of Liberty University Senior Woman Administrator Meredith Hollyfield as chair of the Council of Senior Woman Administrators for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

• The addition of a Libero of the Week to the weekly awards for the sport of volleyball.