National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

July 7, 1997

II Men's Basketball Committee examines selection criteria

The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee worked to redefine team selection criteria at its annual meeting June 15-18 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The committee will recommend to the Division II Championships Committee that beginning with the 1998-99 season, at least 20 of a team's countable games must be against opponents from Division I or Division II. The committee also will recommend that the number of such games be increased to 22 by the 1999-2000 season.

Currently, teams must play a minimum of 22 games to be considered for selection to the Division II Men's Basketball Championship, and the number of games that must be played against Division I or Division II opponents is 18.

The committee also modified the strength-of-schedule component within the selection criteria, redefining the component as an "effective play" rating. Point values within the new rating are as follows: three points for a win against a Division I opponent; two points for a win against a Division II opponent; 11/2 points for a win against a Division I NAIA opponent; one point for a win against a Division III opponent or a Division II NAIA opponent; and one-half point for a win against all other teams.

In addition, the committee recommended that the current system of awarding scheduling points be discontinued.

The committee will continue to consider head-to-head competition and results against common opponents as selection criteria components.

The committee also created three new categories, including results in a team's last 10 games (including conference tournaments), results against Division II teams with records at or above .500 and results against Division II teams with records below .500.

In other actions, the committee approved all 22 conferences eligible for automatic qualification to the 1998 championship. Those same conferences received automatic qualification to the 1997 championship.

The committee also will ask the Division II Championships Committee to grant the Division II Men's Basketball Committee authority to choose the No. 1 seed as a regional host, regardless of geographical proximity. As a backup position, the committee will recommend that it be granted the authority to choose the No. 1 or No. 2 regional seed as a regional host based on which site creates the fewest number of flights, provided the institution's guarantee is sufficient to offset the estimated additional travel expense.

This assumes that both institutions have submitted bids and have met the minimum financial guarantee. This would prevent an institution from "buying" a host site designation, given the standing committee policy stipulating that bids not be accepted if they are more than the maximum seating capacity times the highest approved ticket price.

Other highlights

Division II Men's Basketball Committee
June 15-18/Kansas City, Missouri

  • Met with representatives from the Louisville Organizing Committee (which will host the Elite Eight through the year 2000) and discussed ticket policies and proposals to create group or family discount packages in an effort to further market the event.

  • Changed the starting times of quarterfinal games to 12:30, 3, 6 and 8:30 p.m. and the starting times of semifinal games to 6 and 8:30 p.m.

  • Met with representatives of the National Basketball Coaches Association (NABC) and discussed the administration of the top-20 poll. The committee will no longer conduct the poll, but will continue to provide regional rankings beginning January 21, 1998, and continuing through selection weekend. It was recommended that the NABC assume responsibility for conducting a weekly national poll.

  • Expanded the championship policy to allow for the exchanging of videotapes to include regional competition as well as the Elite Eight. A mandatory videotape exchange policy already is in place for quarterfinal competition.