Although no action was taken to change selection criteria, that was the main subject of discussion at the Division II Men's Basketball Committee meeting June 6-9 in Indianapolis.

The committee had pledged to the coaches that no changes would be made for next year's championship since many already have established much of their schedules for the upcoming season.

Instead, the committee will run a pilot rating system during the 2000-01 season and discuss possible changes in March 2001.

The committee did recommend to the Division II Championships Committee that one change be made in the details of the criteria. Under that recommendation, a team would have to play a minimum of 16 in-region games to be selected. There is no minimum now.

Regarding exhibition games, the committee recommended to the Championships Committee that such games against Division I or III teams must be played between November 1 and the first eligible playing date to be considered exhibition and not count toward the team's regular-season record.

The committee also responded to a Championships Committee request to discuss the effect that permitting conference championship games to be played on selection Sunday -- which the basketball committee does not permit -- would have on selections.

The basketball committee determined that such a change would not be desirable because it would adversely affect travel, as well as publicity for the selections.

Regarding travel, if teams from Alaska and Hawaii were to compete on Sunday, selections would be delayed until Monday, resulting in a late-Monday notification. Such late notice would allow teams only 24 hours to confirm travel arrangements and arrive at their regional destinations.

The committee also noted that moving the selections to Monday would force the cancellation of the televised selection show, which has become a team event for the student-athletes selected.

In further supporting its case against Sunday conference championships, the committee noted that the Division II Women's Basketball Committee had conducted a survey of its coaches this past spring on the same subject, the results of which indicated overwhelming opposition to permitting conference championships on Sunday.

In other action, the committee approved automatic qualification for the 20 conferences that meet the criteria. (The committee denied a request by the Heartland Conference for the two-year waiver and the New England Conference is no longer in existence).