The NCAA News - News & Features

Strength-of-schedule index sought by II women's basketball

Meeting June 4-6 in Kansas City, Missouri, the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee agreed to recommend to the NCAA Executive Committee that a strength-of-schedule index be added to the list of criteria or tools the championship committee uses to select participants for the 48-team field.

If approved, the index would:

* Award two points for a win against Divisions I and II teams with winning records (.500 or better).

* Award one point for a win against Divisions I and II teams with a losing record, for a win against a Division III or NAIA team with a winning record or for a loss to Divisions I and II teams with winning records.

* Award no points for a win against a Division III or NAIA school with a losing record.

* Subtract two points for a loss to Divisions I and II teams with losing records.

* Subtract three points for a loss against a Division III or NAIA school with a losing record.

The committee would total the points and divide by the number of games a Division II team plays.

In addition to formulating the strength-of-schedule index, the Division II committee will recommend that three independent schools be moved to another region.

Tusculum College, Newberry College and Limestone College, currently in the South region, would be realigned to the South Atlantic region. The move comes as a result of a recommendation from Division II conference commissioners, who presented several plans to the committee for realignment.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Division II Women's Basketball Committee
June 4-6/Kansas City, Missouri

* Voted to recommend to the NCAA Executive Committee that institutions be required to guarantee a minimum of $10,000 in net receipts in order to host the Women's Elite Eight. Currently, schools are required to guarantee $1,500.

* Voted to recommend that, beginning with the 1997 championship, schools not be allowed to host regional competition or Women's Elite Eight competition for more than two consecutive years provided other adequate facilities are available according to the established criteria.

* Agreed to survey the Division II membership with regard to two issues: three-person officiating crews and an eight-team final vs. a four-team final.

* Voted to recommend the following conferences for automatic qualification in 1997: California Collegiate Athletic, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Associations and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Associations; and the Carolinas/Virginia Athletic, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic, Great Lakes Valley, Gulf South, Lone Star, New England Collegiate, New York Collegiate Athletic, North Central Intercollegiate Athletic, Northeast-10, Northern California Athletic, Northern Sun Intercollegiate, Peach Belt Athletic, Pennsylvania State Athletic, Rocky Mountain Athletic (merged with the Colorado Athletic Conference), South Atlantic, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic, Sunshine State and West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences.