The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- February 1, 1999

Championships panel proposes cost savings in travel procedures

The Division II Championships Committee is recommending travel policy changes for Division II championships that would result in significant savings if adopted.

The committee, which met January 13-14 in conjunction with the NCAA Convention in San Antonio, recommended three possible changes to the Division II Management Council:

It recommended increasing the distance required for a team to be eligible to travel by air to a championship. Currently an institution must be located at least 400 miles from a championship site before it is permitted to travel by air. The Championships Committee proposal would extend that requirement to 500 miles.

The committee also favored eliminating the use of short-haul commuter flights to and from championship sites. It proposed that if an institution or a championship site is located within 150 miles of a "hub" airport, surface transportation must be used to and/or from the airport.

The Championships Committee also favored permitting the NCAA to determine the departure point if an institution or a championship site is located near more than one major airport. The committee based the recommendation on the fact that ticket prices can vary significantly based on where a flight originates.

The committee estimated that the policy changes would save about $270,000 annually. The Management Council will consider the recommendations at its April meeting.

In other actions, the committee recommended increases in officials fees totaling $6,000. Increases would be provided in the following sports: baseball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, women's softball, men's and women's swimming, women's volleyball and wrestling.

The committee also examined a number of requests for increases in travel parties and squad sizes but delayed any action, pending further review. The cost of all the requests would be about $250,000.

Funding of $30,000 was approved for the new Division II Women's Golf Championship. The committee also noted the Convention's decision to continue the Division II Men's Lacrosse Championship, which will cost about $27,000. Elimination of the Division II Men's Ice Hockey Championship will save about $9,000 annually.

Also, the committee is recommending a panel discussion on championships issues that would be conducted at the 2000 NCAA Convention, similar to the one that was conducted at the 1998 Convention. The Championships Committee plans to produce an "overview document" to inform the membership on major championships issues.