The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- May 10, 1999

III championships ratio is adjusted; budget to accommodate expansion

BY KAY HAWES
STAFF WRITER

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Division III Presidents Council focused on championships expansion and budgetary matters during its April 20 meeting and also reviewed other recommendations forwarded by the Division III Management Council, including a proposal to limit Division III and Association-wide committees to two in-person meetings per year.

The Presidents Council reviewed and endorsed numerous recommendations that had originated with the Division III Championships Committee, including an increase in championships brackets in selected team sports to reflect a 1:7.5 ratio. Previously, the ratio had been 1:8.

The increase is intended to expand the size of Pool C (conference nonchampions) to accommodate concerns expressed by the membership as a result of the recent adoption of automatic-qualification legislation (1999 NCAA Convention Proposal No. 38).

The sports that would be affected by the recommended increases, effective with the 1999-00 NCAA Division III championships, are: baseball, from 40 teams to 42; women's basketball, from 48 to 50; field hockey, from 16 to 18; football, from 24 to 28; men's lacrosse, from 12 to 14; women's lacrosse, from 12 to 16; men's soccer, from 40 to 44; women's soccer, from 40 to 45; and softball, from 40 to 43.

The Presidents Council also approved the following individual/team sport field size increases, effective with the 1999-00 championships: men's and women's cross country, from 184 participants to 215 for both championships; men's tennis, from 124 to 202; and women's tennis, from 124 to 222. The Council also agreed to add 16 relay-only swimmers (four relay teams) to each championship.

In another action, the Council agreed to allocate funding from the Division III championships budget to standardize the championships experience for Division III student-athletes. This would provide for comparable mementos, hospitality activities and officials/volunteers apparel, regardless of the championship sport or gender. This would begin with the 1999-00 Division III championships.

The Presidents Council also approved increases in officiating fees in several sports, including a proposal providing for a three-person officiating team in the Division III Women's Basketball Championship.

Budgetary issues

The Council reviewed and gave preliminary approval to the 1999-00 Division III budget initiatives as forwarded to the Management Council from the Division III Budget Committee.

Included in those initiatives were the expenditures required for the championships proposals, as well as an annual educational videoconference. The Presidents Council endorsed the expenditure requests, noting that they could be funded in their entirety while still leaving a minimal cushion over and above the division's annual reserve.

The budget committee will forward its final recommendations to the Division III Management Council and Presidents Council in July and August for final approval.

The Council also encouraged the Budget Committee to consider identifying funds to encumber, beginning with the 2000-01 budget, for anticipated educational and student-athlete welfare initiatives consistent with the Division III strategic plan.

In another action, the Council endorsed a list of Association-wide committee budget requests as prioritized by the Division III Management Council and forwarded those requests to the NCAA Executive Committee.

Committee meeting frequency

The Council reviewed the current committee meeting schedule and agreed to adopt noncontroversial legislation to change the committee meeting schedule in Division III. The legislation would amend Bylaw 31.7.2.1.4, permitting Division III committees to meet in person no more than twice per year.

The current legislation provides for only one in-person meeting per year, but since restructuring there has been a marked increase in committee meeting frequency beyond legislated limits.

The Council recognized that certain circumstances might warrant the request of an additional meeting, and the proposed legislation would continue to permit that.

The Council also recommended that similar legislation be adopted to apply to Association-wide committees.

Presidents Council expansion

The Presidents Council endorsed a slate of nominees to fill four August 1999 vacancies on the Council. The vacancies were created by the adoption of legislation increasing the number of participants on the Council from 11 to 15 (1999 NCAA Convention Proposal No. 26).

The Division III Presidents Council Nominations Subcommittee noted that all legislated requirements for the Council are currently met but that it is desirable to enhance certain distributional requirements based on future anticipated vacancies.

The slate of candidates will be presented to the Division III chief executive officers for voting. Ballots will be due back to the national office May 24.

The nominees are: Stanley P. Caine, president of Adrian College, Region 3, term expiration January 2002 (not eligible for reelection); Dan DiBiasio, president of Wilmington College (Ohio), Region 3, term expiration January 2004 (not eligible for reelection); Muriel Moore, president of State University College at Buffalo, Region 2, term expiration January 2004 (not eligible for reelection); and Jeanie Watson, president of Nebraska Wesleyan University, Region 4, term expiration January 2001 (eligible for reelection for full four-year term).

Other highlights

Division III Presidents Council
April 20/Washington, D.C.