The NCAA News - News and FeaturesAugust 3, 1998
Division I -- Tennis panel clarifies championships selection
Implementation of a new championships format dominated the Division I Men's and Women's Tennis Committee's annual meeting July 6-9 in Indianapolis.
The committee reviewed the process of selecting 64 teams, 16 regional sites and conference automatic qualification for the men's and women's 1999 championships.
The committee decided that all eight of the men's and all six of the women's regions will have at least one regional tournament. The committee then will look to the higher seeds who have not yet been selected to host to fulfill the remainder of regional site selections.
The committee also reviewed plans for the first televised Division I men's selection show May 4, 1999. Selections, team pairings and regional sites will be broadcast nationally via satellite. Satellite coordinates will be provided to schools in advance of the show. The women's championships will not have a selection show in 1999.
Also new to the 1999 men's and women's championships will be automatic qualification granted to those conferences meeting the eligibility requirements.
In other actions, the men's tennis subcommittee will conduct a cost analysis of the 1998 men's championships selection process to determine whether an in-person selection meeting may prove to be more beneficial. If costs are less than or equal to an in-person meeting, the subcommittee will recommend to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet that it meet in person to select the 1999 field.
Other highlights
Division I Men's and Women's Tennis Committee
July 6-9/Indianapolis
Voted to realign the University of Miami (Florida) from Region I to Region III in men's tennis. The men's tennis subcommittee expressed concern regarding schools that geographically appear to be playing out of region. The committee will readdress realignment after the 1999 championships.
Reviewed the submission of the official lineup form for championships competition. The committee will create a new lineup submission process requiring that by noon on the Monday before regional competition, all 128 teams of the men's and women's tennis championships shall submit lineups that then will be posted on the NCAA's Web site. Any challenges must be made by 2 p.m. the next day for the committee's consideration.
Revised language regarding doubles substitution. In case of injury/illness or extreme circumstances that would preclude a player from participating in a match, a coach may revise the team's doubles combination but must keep it in order of strength as shown on the official lineup form. A circumstance that would eliminate a player from competing in a doubles match that day also would prevent the player from participating in a singles match that same day.
Reconfirmed that the remaining doubles competitions should end once the doubles point is clinched. Similarly, the overall match should end once the match winner is determined.
Confirmed that the University of Georgia will host the Division I Men's Tennis Championships in 1999 and 2000. The committee will solicit bids this fall for sites in 2001 and beyond for review at next year's annual meeting.
Confirmed that the University of Florida will be the site of the 1999 Division I Women's Tennis Championships May 20-28. Pepperdine University will host the 2000 championships. The committee will solicit bids in the fall for those institutions looking to host the 2001 championships.
|
