The University of Wisconsin Athletic Board weighed the issues of NCAA standards for academic ineligibility and the possibility of screening students for sickle cell in the future on Friday.

UW professor Sheila McGuirk said the issue of how much eligibility student athletes should lose if they are academically ineligible to compete was a recent topic of discussion among delegates at an NCAA meeting.

Though policy changes to NCAA policy are in the works, she said many in attendance favored a mid-level penalty, accompanied by some eligibility restrictions.

She added UW Athletics preferred reinstating full eligibility when athletes met the requirements necessary to regain eligibility.

NCAA also introduced the possibility of testing athletes for the sickle cell trait, a policy several universities have adopted in the wake of football player deaths linked to overexertion and the trait.

Though NCAA has allowed the decision to screen athletes to remain a decision for each individual university, McGuirk said there are ethical considerations to be weighed.

“We usually only force testing in health emergencies,” she said. “The sudden athlete deaths brought the idea of testing into focus, but only a small proportion are attributable to those with sickle cell.”

NCAA delegates also discussed the future of the Big Ten in a closed session in a meeting UW and University of Minnesota personnel were asked not to participate in, McGuirk said.

Athletic Board members also discussed Western Collegiate Hockey Association initiatives aimed at keeping American hockey players in the U.S. as opposed to electing to play for Canadian teams, a recent recruiting trend.

The provisional status of Canadian schools in the NCAA was also a topic of discussion among board members, though the issue remains unresolved.

Athletic Director Barry Alvarez said recent rankings reported UW leads the nation in most NCAA men’s tournament and bowl games appearances, with 27 occasions spanning every year since the 1996-1997 season.

Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations Justin Doherty also reported the Athletic Department launched the online magazine “Varsity” and is currently sending out nearly 100,000 issues monthly with expectations to continue expansion.

“Though the magazine is currently only available to donors and alumni, we’re looking to add student season ticket holders,” he said.