The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- January 18, 1999

Divisions II and III put Convention focus on championships

Division II Presidents Council ends geographic-proximity policy

BY DAVID PICKLE
STAFF WRITER

SAN ANTONIO -- The hottest Division II issue at the 1999 NCAA Convention never reached the Convention floor.

On the day before the Division II membership was to directly address its geographic-proximity policy for championships, the division's Presidents Council used its authority to modify Bylaw 31 by eliminating geography as a criterion for regional championship site determination.

As a result, the sponsors of 1999 Convention Proposal No. 7 did not move a proposal that would have altered the geographical-proximity policy in a manner that concerned the Division II governance structure.

Even though the action has been taken, the ramifications of the change are not clear at the moment. The change will eliminate a generally unpopular policy, but it may require the division to re-examine funding availability for a variety of programs and initiatives.

"(The Presidents Council) wants you to be aware that they are aware that there definitely are going to be additional costs associated with the elimination of the geographic-proximity policy," outgoing Management Council chair Lynn Dorn of North Dakota State University told delegates January 10 at the Division II Issues Forum. "It may well be that other NCAA Division II programs that are being contemplated, such as championships bracket expansion, addition of new championships, programs designed to assist student-athlete welfare, grants specific to the strategic plan, perhaps even the supplemental distribution to the membership, may be modified or eliminated.

"But in light of the sensitivity from the Convention a year ago, and having a thorough opportunity to look at the work that was presented to them by the Management Council, they thought that decision was one that they would like to share with you at this time, even before we form tomorrow morning."

The issue established its roots at the 1998 Convention when a straw vote revealed that a significant majority of Division II delegates favored eliminating the policy. At the time, they were told that the estimated cost of the change would be $66,000 annually.

Because the legislation is in Bylaw 31, it could have been changed at any time by the Presidents Council. Although the members of the Presidents Council generally supported the change, they did not act immediately and by summer, a group of institutions had banded together to sponsor legislation that would eliminate geographic proximity entirely. The Division II Championships Committee believed the proposal went beyond what delegates discussed at the 1998 Convention and developed an alternative.

At its October meeting, the Presidents Council considered using its Bylaw 31 authority to change the existing legislation but instead referred it to the Division II Budget and Finance Committee for a final check on the cost. Assuming the cost was acceptable, the plan was to adopt the Championships Committee proposal, or something similar to it.

However, the Budget and Finance Committee's research showed that in a worst-case scenario involving several regional sites in Alaska and Hawaii, the change in policy could cost as much as $350,000 annually. Although the division currently has about $2.3 million in unallocated funds and can afford to finance even the worst-case scenario, the committee advised the Management Council that the change could diminish the division's surplus over time while possibly limiting the opportunity to implement other valued programs.

The Management Council, meeting January 8 and 9, discussed the matter at length and finally chose to form a resolution that would mandate further study, with a report to be considered at the 2000 Convention.

The Presidents Council met January 10. Although there was sentiment for the more measured approach favored by the Management Council, the presidents concluded that the issue was sufficiently sensitive that the appropriate action was to eliminate the policy, with the understanding that the cost of the change would evaluated as part of the budget process.

The Bylaw 31 revision is noted in the accompanying box above.

"It may be considered a matter of fairness that champions should have an opportunity to be the home site for playoffs," said Arend D. Lubbers, president of Grand Valley State University and Presidents Council chair. "If you use geographic proximity, the tournaments are going to be generally in the same place.

"This doesn't mean that there aren't going to be any further changes. I'm sure that the Championships Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee will be working together on trying to come up with a policy that the division can afford, as well as giving opportunity for a greater variety of tournament sites."

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The Presidents Council took several other significant actions during its meeting in San Antonio: