The topics of nontraditional seasons and playing and practice seasons again will be on the agenda when the Division III Management Council meets April 10-11 in Indianapolis.

Immediately after the 2000 NCAA Convention in January, the leadership of the Presidents Council asked the Management Council to review nontraditional seasons and playing and practice issues (including Proposal No. 55, which was referred back to the Presidents Council by a vote of the membership at the Convention). The Management Council responded by forming the Division III Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee, which will review relevant proposals forwarded by the Division III membership.

The subcommittee will forward those proposals, along with corresponding recommendations as to future actions, to the Management Council for review at its April meeting. The proposals are expected to include possible reductions in the overall length of the playing and practice seasons, as well as possible reductions in contests and practice opportunities in the nontraditional segment.

The Management Council also is expected to review a recommendation from the Division III Membership Committee to sponsor noncontroversial legislation establishing a two-year moratorium on new provisional members, effective immediately. As recommended by the Membership Committee, the legislation would not affect current provisional members or reclassification between divisions. The Membership Committee noted that relevant committees in Divisions I and II have recommended the establishment of provisional membership moratoriums in those divisions, making the issue a timely one for the Division III Management Council to consider.

The Management Council also is expected to consider a series of recommendations from the Division III Championships Committee, including a recommendation that the Council sponsor legislation to permit the establishment of a division championship in an emerging sport that is sponsored by at least 28 Division III institutions.

While it would take the Management Council's sponsorship of additional legislation, the proposal eliminating the 40-institution sponsorship requirement could open the door for a Division III championship in women's ice hockey as soon as 2001-02, resulting in one year of a National Collegiate Championship before Division III would have its own women's ice hockey championship. (Women's ice hockey already is sponsored by 26 institutions in Division III, and the committee expects another two institutions to add the sport by the proposed effective date of the legislation.)

Another recommendation from the committee calls for the Council to consider sponsoring legislation establishing a Division III championship in women's rowing in 2001-02. This championship proposal is not dependent on a change in the current sponsorship requirements for emerging sports, as the necessary 40 Division III institutions already sponsor rowing.

The Council also is expected to consider proposed squad-size increases in field hockey, football, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball and women's volleyball.

The Management Council also is expected to:

* Review a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports to establish year-round drug testing in Division III football.

* Review a proposed NCAA 2001 Convention schedule and consider the elimination of the Tuesday morning Division III business session, along with additional possible changes to the schedule.

* Consider changes to commercial logo restrictions as they apply to Division III uniforms and apparel.

* Consider amending Bylaw 21.8.1.4.2 to permit a Division III administrator who also is a head coach to serve in either capacity on a sports committee in the sport the administrator also coaches. (The current rule precludes the administrator/coach from serving as an administrator on sports committees in the sports the individual coaches.)

* Review and prioritize budget requests submitted by Association-wide committees.

Task force sets Division III priorities

In light of anticipated operating budget increases stemming from the CBS contract and Division III's 3.18 percent constitutionally guaranteed revenue allocation, the division has formed a task force to develop a plan for allocating those resources.

Acting on behalf of the Division III Presidents and Management Councils, the Division III Administrative Committee has appointed the Division III Initiatives Task Force composed of current and former members of the Division III Presidents Council, Management Council and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The task force, which will conduct its first in-person meeting one day before the April 27 Division III Presidents Council meeting, has been divided into three subcommittees focusing on the topics that represent key priorities in the Division III strategic plan: student-athlete welfare, diversity and membership education.

Each subcommittee has begun to develop a series of action objectives, specific initiatives, financial parameters and time lines for review by the full task force, the Management Council and the Presidents Council. Resulting initiatives will be included in the overall Division III strategic plan that will be forwarded to the NCAA Executive Committee and ultimately through the Division III and Association-wide committee structure for development and implementation.

John S. Biddiscombe, athletics director at Wesleyan University (Connecticut) and former chair of the Division III Management Council, chairs the task force.

The other members are: Stanley Caine, president, Adrian College; Carlyle Carter, executive director, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference; Thomas B. Courtice, president, Ohio Wesleyan University; Ann H. Die, president, Hendrix College; Kerry Gotham, former student-athlete at Nazareth College; Walter J. Johnson, athletics director, North Central College; Bette Landman, president, Beaver College; Oscar C. Page, president, Austin College; Joy L. Reighn, athletics director, Rowan University; Kathryn R. Springsteen, faculty athletics representative, Colby-Sawyer College; Megan Stevens, former student-athlete at State University College at Cortland; Christopher Walker, faculty athletics representative, University of Redlands; and Michael F. Walsh, athletics director, Washington and Lee University.