National Collegiate Athletic Association

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The NCAA News -- March 1, 1999

Women's soccer group studies alignment issues

The Division I Women's Soccer Committee spent considerable time discussing championship starting dates and regional alignment issues during its annual meeting in Palm Springs, California, February 2-5.

Marcia McDermott of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America reported that coaches would like the committee to consider regional realignment from six to eight regions and to consider changes in the dates for the first and second rounds of the championship.

Upon reviewing the regional alignment, the committee felt that at this point, it would not be beneficial to the tournament or the selection process to extend to eight regions. However, in response to the coaches' concerns, the committee decided to broaden its perspective of which teams would be included within the under-consideration category of the selection process. The committee felt that this change would be more useful in addressing the coaches' needs.

The committee also discussed format changes for the 1999 championship but decided to maintain the present schedule of having the first round played on Wednesday, November 10, and the second rounds completed by Sunday, November 14.

The committee instituted a conference call that will be conducted in advance of the preliminary rounds of competition to train NCAA site representatives staffing the competition sites.

The committee also acted on several issues related to officiating, including the utilization of National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA) regional coordinators to make preliminary-round officiating assignments based on input from local assigners, the regional advisory committees and NISOA-run clinics, which will specifically train alternate officials for the semifinals and final.

In other actions, the committee reviewed tools used for selecting teams into the championship.

The committee determined to maintain the use of the rating-percentage index (RPI) and the strength-of-schedule index as tools throughout the season and in the selection of at-large teams.

In addition, conference offices will receive all Division I RPI information to assist conferences in recognizing the stronger teams, so that a conference may inform its members how to improve a team's strength of schedule. Last year, conferences received only the RPI information pertaining to its member schools.

The committee also awarded the following 22 conferences automatic qualification to the 1999 Women's College Cup: the America East, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Sky, Big Ten, Big 12, Big West, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Mid-American, Midwestern Collegiate, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Pacific-10, Southeastern, Southern, West Coast and Western Athletic Conferences; the Colonial Athletic Association; Conference USA; the Ivy Group; and the Patriot League. Four conferences were identified to participate in the play-in system, including the Trans America Athletic Conference, which will host the Southland Conference, and the Big South Conference, which will host the Northeast Conference.

The committee denied the Ohio Valley Conference's request for a waiver to receive automatic qualification because the conference had not conducted women's soccer as a conference sport for the previous two seasons.

Other highlights

Division I Women's Soccer Committee
February 2-5/Palm Springs, California

  • Evaluated the existing all-tournament team selection process and determined that for the 1999 championship, the committee will designate a six-member panel to select the all-tournament team.

  • Reviewed television ratings for the 1998 championship and noted that the cable ratings were the third-highest of all fall championships.

  • Changed the current video policy to allow the finalists to obtain a tape of their opponent's semifinal contest.

  • Discussed minimum financial guarantees and recommended that if a host institution does not meet its budgeted guarantee (75 percent of net receipts), the institution would no longer receive an honorarium for hosting. The committee will continue discussions on placing limitations on promotional dollars spent based on the return of tickets sold.

  • Voted to solicit bids for the 2001 and 2002 Women's College Cups. The committee will review bids in December and will invite selected bidders to make in-person presentations at the committee's annual meeting in February 2000.

  • Voted to recommend Debra Warren of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, as the new chair of the committee, replacing Amy E. Hackett of the University of Utah, who resigned.