The Division III Management Council put forth recommendations on a number of issues at its April 10-11 meeting in Indianapolis, including a membership moratorium, nontraditional seasons and new Division III championships. It also heard a report from representatives of the Division III Amateurism Task Force, a group that is expected to bring forth formal recommendations in the future.

The Division III Presidents Council is expected to review the Management Council's recommendations at its April 27 meeting in Indianapolis.

The Management Council agreed to sponsor noncontroversial legislation to establish a moratorium on new provisional members for a period of two years, effective immediately. The moratorium would not affect the progress of current provisional members currently working toward active Division III membership.

Also, the Council recommended that exceptions be considered for the two institutions that already have submitted paperwork and fees toward Division III provisional membership.

The Council also agreed to sponsor legislation for the 2001 NCAA Convention that would prohibit missed class time and overnight travel for competition in the nontraditional segment for all sports, with the exception of one event annually in golf and in tennis. The Council agreed that eliminating missed class time in the nontraditional segment was consistent with the Division III philosophy emphasizing academics.

That recommendation was the only action forwarded to the Council by its Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee, which continues to review the issues of competition in the nontraditional segment as well as playing and practice seasons. The subcommittee reported that it had deferred action on the establishment of an October 15 practice start date for winter sports and the establishment of a February 1 practice start date for spring sports pending review by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. The subcommittee has asked that committee to review those dates to ensure adequate practice and preparation time before competition.

The subcommittee also informed the Management Council that it had begun to receive playing and practice season proposals from the Division III membership and that the Council could expect to review formal legislative proposals submitted by the membership at its July meeting.

In a related matter, the Council asked the subcommittee to provide a draft of legislation (for review at the Council's July meeting) to limit tournament date exemptions in baseball and softball (NCAA Bylaw 17.4.5.11). Members of the Council expressed concern over reports that some schools are playing in "tournaments" that last for days, have no discernible bracket and no apparent winner. The Council is concerned that those tournaments (and some "games" that last for a period of days) result in institutions far exceeding the maximum allowable contests in those sports.

The Council also asked the Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee to review the definition of a tournament and forward any recommendations back to the Council for review in July.

Championships

The Management Council agreed to sponsor legislation that would reduce the sponsorship requirement for an emerging team sport to become a championship sport in Division III. Currently, 40 schools must sponsor an emerging sport for it to be eligible for NCAA championship status. (And, 40 schools within a division must sponsor an emerging sport for it to be eligible for a division championship.) The legislation recommended by the Division III Championships Committee and endorsed by the Management Council would change that requirement to 28 institutions, possibly providing more post-season opportunities for more Division III women sooner.

In a related matter, the Council agreed to sponsor legislation that would establish a Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship, beginning with the 2001-02 academic year (providing 28 Division III schools sponsor the sport as required by the above proposed legislation).

Currently, 26 Division III schools sponsor women's ice hockey, and it is expected that at least two more institutions will add the sport by the legislation's effective date. The current proposal calls for a four-team championship bracket.

The Management Council also agreed to sponsor legislation for the 2001 Convention to establish a Division III Women's Rowing Championships, beginning with the 2001-02 academic year. The Council noted that 40 Division III institutions currently sponsor women's rowing, making a new championship possible regardless of any other pending legislation.

The Council also agreed to recommend increases in championship squad sizes in several sports, beginning with the 2000-01 academic year. The following increases were recommended: field hockey, from 20 to 22; football, from 48 to 52; women's lacrosse, from 24 to 28; men's soccer, from 18 to 22; women's soccer, from 18 to 22; softball, from 18 to 20; and volleyball, from an unlimited number to 17.

The Council also agreed to recommend an increase in the number of participants in the Division III Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, from 331 to 344, effective with the 2001 event. The Council noted that this increase would provide both the men's and women's championships with the same number of events and the same number of competitors.

Amateurism Task Force

The Management Council had the opportunity to hear its first report from the Division III Amateurism Task Force, which was established last year to explore the issue of amateurism from the Division III perspective. The task force chair, Thomas Weingartner, athletics director at the University of Chicago -- along with Julie Roe-Sumner, NCAA director of student-athlete reinstatement, and Jennifer Strawley, NCAA student-athlete reinstatement representative -- presented information about the task force's purpose and time line.

The task force's purpose is to determine the philosophy of Division III with regard to amateurism, determine the need for deregulation, and assess the impact of possible changes in amateurism legislation in Divisions I and II.

"We want to make sure Division III interests are represented as the Association reviews the issue of amateurism," Weingartner said. "And at this point, it appears that, at the very least, the sanctions (as applied to amateurism cases) are uneven -- ranging from too harsh to too mild."

Weingartner also noted that the task force's focus is on pre-enrolled student-athletes in Division III institutions. "We are concentrating on the activities of prospects before their initial, full-time collegiate enrollment," he said.

The task force plans to provide the membership with the opportunity to discuss the issue more thoroughly at the 2001 NCAA Convention, with an eye toward possible legislative proposals at the 2002 Convention. The task force also plans to gather additional input from the Division III membership as it examines the issue of amateurism and possible deregulation proposals.

The speakers noted that the core values of the task force included clarity, common sense and consistency within amateurism rules; prospective student-athlete welfare; competitive fairness; and consistency with Division III philosophy.

NCAA staff provided examples of actual Division III amateurism cases where current legislation provides for uneven penalties. One such example was that of a pre-enrolled student losing all eligibility for signing a professional contract -- even though the professional team cut him from the roster and he never played -- while a pre-enrolled student who played professionally for six months without a contract simply paid back the funds earned and received his eligibility back after he sat out a percentage of games.

Other highlights

Division III Management Council
April 10-11/Indianapolis

* Recommended the approval of the Division III annual budget and supported capping the Division III reserve fund at 35 percent of the annual Division III budget.

* Forwarded the Association-wide committee budget requests on to the Division III Presidents Council with an expression of concern that the funds seemed inadequate to deal with several Association-wide priorities, particularly those of diversity and student-athlete welfare.

* Reviewed a summary of numerous initiatives currently under review by the Division III Initiatives Task Force. (The task force will meet in person April 26, forwarding proposals to the Division III governance structure after that time.)

* Recommended a survey of Division III member schools to determine the level of interest in establishing voluntary drug testing in Division III football.

* Declined to recommend any changes to the current commercial logo restrictions as they apply to Division III uniforms and apparel.

* Reviewed a proposed 2001 NCAA Convention schedule as put forth by the Division III Convention-planning Subcommittee and agreed to recommend several changes. The Council supported the elimination of the Tuesday morning business session and the addition of a two-hour time slot and various discussion sessions to Saturday afternoon's schedule.

* Endorsed the elimination of an Association-wide keynote speaker at the 2001 NCAA Convention, but expressed interest in the option of pursuing a keynote speaker at some future time if appropriate.

* Recommended that the chief executive officer and one athletics administrator from every Division III provisional member institution attend the NCAA Convention each year of the provisional membership period. The Council also agreed with the Division III Membership Committee's recommendation to provide more educational opportunities for provisional member CEOs at the Convention.

* Reviewed Division III and Association-wide committee meeting requests for the next year. (Committees requesting more than two in-person meetings per year are required to bring those requests to the Management Councils annually.) Recommended to the Division III Presidents Council that three in-person meetings be approved next year for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Financial Aid and Awards Committee and the Interpretations and Legislation Committee.