The NCAA News - News and Features

November 3, 1997

III Management Council delays financial aid survey

After reviewing a proposed survey of Division III members regarding current financial aid philosophies, the NCAA Division III Management Council decided to postpone distribution of the survey.

At its meeting October 20-21, the Management Council instead recommended that greater emphasis be placed on education and clarification of existing financial aid legislation during the Division III business session at the 1998 NCAA Convention.

The Management Council suggested that a list of about 10 key issues be distributed to the membership, along with a request for institutions to indicate the issues of greatest interest. Results of that survey would then be used to determine the content of a discussion on financial aid at the Convention.

The Division III Presidents Council was scheduled to consider the recommendations at its October 28 meeting.

Among the key areas suggested by the Management Council are situations where NCAA legislation regarding financial aid is misapplied by Division III institutions, including which rules may enhance compliance and which may discourage compliance.

The survey was proposed by the Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee as a means of determining whether Division III financial aid legislation needs to be revised.

Automatic qualification

In another action, the Management Council reviewed the draft of principles for automatic qualification to Division III championships.

The Division III Championships Committee drafted the principles for automatic qualification at the request of the Presidents Council and Management Council. The principles are based on an 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 Championships Committee recommended that a fourth guiding principle be added that would have all members of a conference placed in the same championships region whenever possible. The Management Council asked the Championships Committee to clarify that recommendation.

The Management Council rejected as unnecessary a proposal from the Championships Committee that would require an institution to have better than a .500 overall won-lost record to be selected as an independent or at-large participant.

The Management Council recommended that the principles be distributed to the membership in mid-November for review and comment. The mailing will include a cover memorandum explaining the development and status of the initiative.

The timetable calls for comments to be returned to the NCAA national office by mid-December for preparation for discussion at the business session at the Convention.

Football championship

Also to be discussed at the Convention is expansion of the Division III Football Championship.

The Championships Committee presented the Management Council with results of its survey about three possible options for expanding the championship.

As a result of the survey, the Management Council recommended that Option Nos. 1 and 2 be the basis for discussion at the Convention.

Both of those options would retain the current 16-team field competing for the national championship but would add a separate eight-team field competing in an "invitational" tournament or bowl game.

The third option -- creating four regional champions -- was supported by only 16 percent of the membership, and it was recommended that the option be dropped from discussion.

Depending on the discussion at the Convention, expansion of the football championship could be implemented as early as 1998.

Strategic plan

The Management Council reviewed the Division III strategic plan and forwarded it to the Presidents Council with the recommendation that it be adopted. The Management Council noted that it is a "living" document that will need to be modified each year as priorities change.

A timetable for formulating the plan each year also was discussed and recommended to the Presidents Council. The timetable would have the membership provide input at the annual Convention about priorities identified by the Presidents Council and Management Council for emphasis.

Those priorities, with Convention input, then would be forwarded to the appropriate committees for development. The committees would report their recommendations to the Management Council and Presidents Council, including budget implications, in time for adoption by the Presidents Council in August as part of the strategic plan for the ensuing academic year.

The Management Council recommended that the plan be presented at the Convention for membership input.

Proposed legislation

In reviewing proposed legislation for the Convention, the Management Council recommended that the Presidents Council oppose Proposal No. 2-25 (as it appears in the Second Publication of Proposed Legislation), which would permit a member institution in women's lacrosse to engage in 17 dates of competition during the traditional segment and five during the nontraditional segment. The Management Council expressed concern about further establishment of the nontraditional season, safety and conditioning concerns, and the fact that no similar proposal existed for men's lacrosse.

Proposal No. 2-25 was referred in July to the Men's Lacrosse Committee and Women's Lacrosse Committee for review. The men's committee said it believes 22 dates of competition are too many. The women's committee recommended approval.

The proposal is intended to provide the same participation opportunities during the nontraditional segment in women's lacrosse as currently apply in field hockey and women's soccer.