The NCAA News - News and FeaturesAugust 18, 1997
Division III: Football survey is sent to CEOs
A survey to solicit input from institutions regarding a proposed expansion of Division III football postseason competition has been approved by the Division III Management Council and forwarded to the Division III Presidents Council.
The Division III Championships Committee had recommended that the survey be sent to all Division III institutions for guidance on how to increase the number of teams participating in postseason competition while maintaining the integrity of the football championship.
With the Management Council's approval at its July 28-29 meeting in Denver, the survey now goes to the Presidents Council for consideration at its August 12 meeting in Atlanta.
The survey, which will be sent to athletics directors at Division III institutions if the Presidents Council approves, asks first whether the institution supports a bracket increase from 16 to 24 teams in the football championship. If the answer is affirmative, each AD is asked to rank three proposals for the expansion according to preference and date of implementation.
The three proposals:
Option No. 1 calls for two separate brackets -- the national championship bracket of 16 teams and the national invitational bracket of eight teams. The national championship bracket is similar to the current playoff structure (four teams from each region playing to crown a regional champion and the four regional champions continuing through to a national championship game).
The national invitational bracket includes two additional teams from each region that would play through until a national invitation champion is crowned.
Option No. 2 provides for 24 teams through a national championship of 16 teams and invitational bowls for eight teams. The 16-team bracket is similar to the current playoff structure. The four "invitational bowls" would invite two additional teams from each region for a one-game postseason event. The four bowls would be held on the campus of the higher-ranked team.
Option No. 3 would involve three regional championships of eight teams. This proposal would require a realignment of schools into three geographic regions, with all three playing until regional champions are crowned. The competition would not determine a national champion.
Implementation of the championship enhancement could occur in 1998, 1999 or 2000.
The Management Council also reviewed a draft of automatic-qualification principles that are being developed by the Division III Championships Committee.
The principles are being developed at the request of the Presidents Council as part of its emphasis on the Division III philosophy statement, the importance of access to championship opportunities for conference champions in all team sports and equitable access for independent institutions.
The Management Council recommended that both the football championship enhancement and revisions to the automatic-qualification requirements and principles for discussion topics during the Division III business session at the 1998 NCAA Convention.
Other topics recommended for discussion were Division III financial aid issues (see related story, on this page) and Title IX/gender equity issues. The Management Council said it would be premature to discuss the status of Division III marketing, licensing and promotions at the Convention but did request a meeting with C. Dennis Cryder, NCAA group executive director for marketing, licensing and promotions, during the council's October meeting in order to become more familiar with this topic.
In another action, the Management Council determined that eight provisional-member institutions should have a second educational year added to their provisional status to allow them time to bring their athletics programs into compliance. The action makes the three-year provisional membership a four-year process for those institutions.
Institutions affected by the action are Cazenovia College; Eastern Oregon State College; Evergreen State College; George Fox University; Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences; University of Pittsburgh, Bradford; University of Puget Sound; and Whitworth College.
To assist those institutions, the Management Council recommended that a mandatory meeting be scheduled as soon as possible to provide a thorough review of Division III membership requirements. The meeting will provide an opportunity to stress to the institutions that complete compliance with the requirements during 1997-98 and 1998-99 will be necessary if the schools want to avoid termination of provisional membership and retain eligibility for full membership.
Trinity College (District of Columbia) was reinstated as a provisional member, with the 1996-97 academic year considered a second educational year. Full compliance with Division III legislation will be required during 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Other highlights
Division III Management Council
July 28-29/Denver
Appointed a six-member Subcommittee on Strategic Planning to further refine the proposed three-year Division III strategic plan. The revised plan will be forwarded to the Presidents Council for final approval in October.
Appointed a three-member Subcommittee on Academic Issues to handle Bylaw 14 waivers and related academic issues formerly handled by the Academic Requirements Committee.
Recommended that the Division III Presidents Council approve the 1997-98 operating budget for Division III. The budget includes additional proposed expenditures of $290,935 to provide full funding of Division III men's and women's indoor and outdoor track championships, championships bracket enhancements in men's and women's lacrosse, and additional championships officiating fees.
Approved the Budget Committee's recommendation that current committee reporting lines, as approved by the membership at the 1997 NCAA Convention, be retained. The reporting lines require the Budget Committee to report to the Management Council with the Management Council subsequently forwarding the Budget Committee report and its response to the Presidents Council for review.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement an official interpretation related to soliciting or accepting a bet for material items. In particular the Management Council requested the subcommittee review wagers that are limited to nonmonetary items of nominal value relative to longstanding traditions in certain sports. This issue arose as a result of the wagering of shirts in the sport of rowing.
Expanded the Administrative Review Panel subcommittee from three to five members. The subcommittee will conduct its meetings through conference calls unless the volume of waiver requests or the speed of reviewing the requests warrants a different administrative approach.
Adopted noncontroversial legislation, on the recommendation of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, to amend Bylaw 21.8.6.3 to specify that at least one of the two student-athlete representatives to the Management Council have at least one year of experience on the SAAC. Current legislation requires both representatives to have at least one year of experience.
Proposed legislation
At its meeting July 28-29 in Denver, the Division III Management Council recommended that the Division III Presidents Council sponsor the following legislation:
Related to de minimus recruiting violations in which the student-athlete or prospective student-athlete receives no benefit and the institution little or no recruiting or competitive advantage. The violation still would be considered an institutional violation but would not affect the prospective student-athlete's eligibility.
Related to violations of NCAA recruiting rules involving less than $25 and in which the action by the Student-Athlete Reinstatement Subcommittee (formerly the Eligibility Subcommittee) would require repayment or restitution for the student-athlete to regain his or her eligibility. Rather than require an institution to declare a student-athlete ineligible and then have him or her reinstated, the athlete would remain ineligible until repayment was documented by the institution.
To allow national governing bodies the same opportunity the United States Olympic Committee has to award educational expenses to individuals.
To amend Bylaw 12 to permit an individual to receive expenses for participation in Olympic exhibitions, even if the activities include no formal competition, provided the individual misses no class time and the exhibition does not conflict with the date of institutional competition.
To extend from two to three years the period necessary for an institution to reclassify from Division II to Division III and to require the institution to be in complete compliance with Division III legislation and membership requirements during the second and third years of the process.
The Management Council recommended the Presidents Council not sponsor legislation:
To allow diving student-athletes to practice beyond the end of the swimming season, provided those student-athletes engage in no more than a 21-week playing season. The Management Council said adequate competitive opportunities exist in the current playing/practice season legislation. The Olympic Sports Liaison Committee recommended the change.
To change the process of identifying and appointing district selection committee chairs for postgraduate scholarships. The Management Council referred the recommendation back to the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee with the recommendation that the legislation include specific criteria related to term limits, diversity and prior committee experience.
Regarding proposals for legislation submitted by the Division III membership, the Management Council took the following actions:
Recommended the Presidents Council oppose Proposal No. 1-9 regarding playing and practice seasons and preseason practice for Division III basketball. The Council noted it is not necessary to lengthen the permissible period for on-court practice and that it could negatively impact multisport athletes.
Forwarded to the Division III Men's and Women's Lacrosse Committee for review Proposal No. 1-10 regarding maximum dates of competition for women's lacrosse. The Council recommended that the Presidents Council take no position on the proposal until it has been reviewed by the lacrosse committee. The Management Council expressed concern regarding safety and conditioning, gender-equity and further establishment of the nontraditional segment.
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