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The NCAA News -- March 1, 1999

Soccer groups discuss common venue for championships

The Division II Men's and Women's Soccer Committees during their annual meetings discussed the possibility of conducting their championships at a common site.

The committees, meeting February 1-4 in Palm Springs, California, spent a portion of their meetings in a joint session during which they reviewed the merits of a predetermined championship site that would combine the men's and women's events.

The two committees took no formal action at this time; however, they agreed to solicit and consider incoming bids. The committees reaffirmed that the priority regarding this and other initiatives is to maintain equitable treatment of both championships.

Should the committees agree to conduct future championships at the same site, the women's championship would be adjusted to a Thursday-Saturday format instead of its current Friday-Sunday schedule. The men's championship would retain the Friday-Sunday format. If the championships are not held at a common site, the committees determined that the 1999 championship sites would remain on the campus of a participating institution.

During the remainder of its meeting, the women's committee reevaluated and adjusted its ratings guidelines in relation to the strength-of-schedule index to more accurately reflect the Division II membership philosophy. The committee also adjusted the championship selection criteria in order to assist in team selections.

In addition, the committee discussed the process of assigning officials with a representative of the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NISOA). The committee agreed to work more closely with NISOA in selecting officials to work championship games.

In other action, the women's committee:

  • Recommended that natural grass facilities of optimal size would be preferred in selecting future sites for championship competition.

  • Recommended Brian Purcell, women's soccer coach at Presbyterian College, as the incoming chair of the committee, replacing Bill Postiglione, women's soccer coach at Quincy University.

    Men's committee actions

    The men's committee spent much of its meeting preparing the necessary arrangements for the new regional alignment for the 1999 season. The committee developed a process that ensures all members of each conference will be situated in the same region.

    In addition, the committee agreed to distribute selection-criteria information to its constituents to make certain the information was interpreted clearly among the eight new regions. The committee also adapted bracket and officials' rotations to coincide with the eight-region format.

    In other actions, the men's committee:

  • Reviewed the strength-of-schedule power rating and adjusted guidelines used in the system to reflect the Division II philosophy.

  • Voted to prefer grass fields, 70 by 115 yards and larger, when selecting championship sites. This decision complies with guidelines used by other soccer committees.

  • Agreed to create an all-tournament team for the 1999 championship.