The NCAA News - News and Features

June 30, 1997

II women's basketball acts on selection of officials, automatic qualification

The NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee recommended conferences for automatic qualification and clarified selection procedures for officials during its annual meeting June 10-13 in Monterey, California.

The committee approved all 21 conferences eligible for automatic qualification to the 1998 championship. Those same conferences received automatic qualification to the 1997 championship.

The committee also revised selection procedures for officials, noting that three-person crews had been approved by the NCAA Executive Committee in May and will be used during the 1998 championship.

The committee reviewed the assignment of officials and will request that conference commissioners solicit input from assigners and coaches from within their conferences before nominating championship officials.

Six officials will be brought in to work each regional. Regional advisory committees will assign those officials to crews that will remain intact for the regional semifinals. Each regional's games committee then will determine the three officials from the two crews to work the regional final.

Officials from four regions will work the Women's Elite Eight based on a newly established regional rotation. The four regions to be represented at the 1998 championship are the South Central, North Central, East and South Atlantic.

Officials who work the regional finals in those regions will be asked to work the championship.

In another actions, the committee recommended to the Division II Championships Committee that the top seed in a region be allowed to host a regional regardless of geographical proximity, provided it meets the established site-selection criteria.

Other highlightsDivision II Women's Basketball Committee

June 10-13/Monterey, California