The president of Brigham Young University has sent a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, opposing a rule change to allow postseason events on Sundays.
The NCAA has had the so-called BYU rule for 30 years, but its board of directors will consider an amendment to change it when the board meets in Indianapolis on Tuesday.BYU officials say golf and tennis are the sports most likely to be hurt.
"If there are championships played on Sundays, our athletes will be prohibited from competing," said BYU vice president R.J. Snow.
"We of course are very disappointed and have in fact sent a letter to the board of directors telling them we don't approve," said BYU President Merrill J. Bateman. Bateman also has spoken with board members.
Bateman is also a General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns the university. General authorities administer the church.
Refraining from athletic competition is one of the policies the church has set for Sabbath observance at its universities.
The NCAA's restriction on Sunday competition traditionally has protected other religion-based schools, but today, Campbell University, a Baptist school in Buies Creek, N.C., is the only school in BYU's camp.
The written proposal states that the tradition of respect for religion has resulted in a lack of television coverage for some sports. Proponents say a change should provide increased promotional opportunities.
The fact that the proposal has advanced to the final stage frightens BYU coaches and administrators, said compliance officer Pete Witbeck.
Even if BYU succeeds in striking down the proposed amendment, Ath-let-ic Director Rondo Fehlberg believes it will eventually pass.
"It seems pretty inevitable because we have yet to see something with significant revenue dollars attached which hasn't passed," he said. "As strapped as athletic departments are, it's hard to imagine them saying, `OK, we're going to walk away from dollars to support BYU.' "
BYU can appeal the board decision. And a legal challenge is possible, Fehlberg said.
The rule, 31.1.4.1 in the NCAA manual, has been in place since the mid-1960s, when BYU lobbied for a change after seeing its baseball team excluded from the NCAA playoffs because games were scheduled on Sunday.
"Three times we earned the chance to go to regionals and couldn't go because they were held on Sunday," said Glen Tuckett, a former BYU athletic director and baseball coach.
"We've had to fight this battle three or four times over the past 20-25 years," he said.
"It would kill you from day one," BYU golf coach Bruce Brockbank said. "You couldn't even recruit. Those kids want to go to the dance. It would set us up to be a second-tier program."
If the proposal passes, Fehlberg expects golf and tennis to be the first casualties.
"Football and basketball already have a very strong lucrative detente with the pros," he said. "College football games are played on Saturday, and pro games are on Sunday, and economic self-interest will ensure things remain status quo."
NCAA sources said there would be no financial benefit to changing the men's basketball tournament format, in which there are two Thursday and Saturday brackets and two Friday and Sunday brackets.
The Final Four is played on Saturday and Monday.