The NCAA Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee addressed a number of rules and championships issues at its annual meeting September 10-13 in Indianapolis.

One of those is a topic that has been pushed to the forefront in swimming -- the use of the full-body swimsuit that manufacturers claim will make swimmers swim faster. The committee discussed concerns raised by several coaches that the suit gives those who buy it a competitive advantage. The committee agreed that no reliable scientific evidence has been made available that would indicate a need to ban the suit from NCAA competition. The swimsuit is regarded as a swimmer's uniform and not a "device" that will increase a swimmer's speed or buoyancy. The committee agreed with FINA (the international governing body for the sport) and USA Swimming in their acceptance of the suit for competition.

In the area of last-chance meets, the committee agreed to create standard formats that will assure consistency in the way NCAA championships qualifying times are achieved. Those formats will be sent to the membership in the fall.

Also to be mailed later this fall are rules changes and modifications that will go into effect for the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.

Division I actions

The Division I Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee made several recommendations that will impact future championships and create excitement for the sport.

The committee was pleased with the amount of exposure and success of the 2000 championships held in short-course meters. The committee voted that the 2004 championships be conducted in short-course meters. The switch affords swimmers the opportunity to see how they measure up internationally in an Olympic year.

To build on the theme of creating excitement and media coverage for college swimming, the committee agreed in principle to move forward with a plan to recommend a move of the men's and women's championships from March to April. The plan would target the second Thursday-Saturday in April for the Division I women's championships and the third Thursday-Saturday in April for the men. The committee will seek feedback from the membership regarding the effect of the new dates on:

The recruiting calendar;

Women's water polo;

USA Swimming and US Diving meets; and

Conferences and their traditional scheduling/conference meets.

By moving the championships away from the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, the committee feels it will increase the exposure for collegiate swimming. The committee also believes that additional exposure will appeal to the NCAA corporate partners, much like the Olympic swimming movement appeals to a broad range of sponsors.

In more efforts to enhance college swimming, the committee discussed a concept regarding both short- and long-course swimming. The group agreed to study the creation of long-course swimming as a separate individual team championship. The committee drew an analogy between short- and long-course meters and indoor/outdoor track.

In other action, the committee will recommend the start time for preliminaries for the 2002 men's championships be changed from noon to 11 a.m. The 7 p.m. start time for finals remains the same. The new preliminaries time will correspond to the time currently employed at the women's championships.

In the area of championships qualification, the committee voted to approve a proposal for the 2001 championships that will change the qualifying grid for platform diving so that every fourth spot goes to platform. This proposal will reward the performances of platform divers and enhance the chances of an additional berth for a zone due to the success of the platform diver.

The Division I committee also:

Agreed to initiate a study in conjunction with Bob Clauson regarding long-course conversion factors.

Recommended that the top eight finishers in each championships receive awards.

Approved officials for the 2001 championships.

Recommended the creation of a position that will coordinate both the selection and evaluation processes for NCAA swimming championships officials.

Divisions II, III actions

The Division II Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee will recommend the addition of the 1,000-yard freestyle event to the 2001 championships to give another true distance race to the meet. A "B" standard for the event was added to the qualifying standards.

For championship qualification, the committee changed the policy regarding submission of proof-of-performance (POP) forms. The new policy will designate four reporting dates: the third Wednesday of every month from November through February. Also, for championships qualification, everyone will be required to make the "B" standard and have a POP form for the time. More information on the policy will be in the 2001 Swimming and Diving Championships Handbook.

The committee currently is soliciting future championship sites. Interested parties should contact Kristin Fasbender, NCAA assistant director of championships, at the national office.

In Division III, the committee recommended that the position of the 1,650-yard freestyle event be moved in the order of events. The move would mirror the Division I championships format and is an effort to incorporate heats into the finals atmosphere as much as possible.

The Division III committee also reviewed the following championships event staff: meet coordinator, data input specialist and diving selection coordinator. The committee is compiling manuals for those positions so others can fill the role if needed.

The Division III group also agreed to review increased ticket prices to bring Division III more in line with the ticket prices charged at the Divisions I and II championships.