The Division II Football Committee wants to make the most of a good thing, recently expressing its desire to continue playing the championship game in Florence, Alabama.

During its annual meeting in Indianapolis February 18-21, the committee recommended to the Division II Championships Committee that the contract with the Shoals National Championship Committee be extended through 2003. Florence has hosted the title game since 1986.

In other business, the committee reviewed the polling process used in 2000 for the weekly regional top-10 polls. The group decided to eliminate the preseason ranking call and move the final regular-season call to be held in conjunction with the national committee selection call the day before the selection show.

As a result, the final regional polls will be released on the Monday after the championship field is announced.

In a related matter, the committee emphasized that each national committee member must have a mandatory meeting each year with the regional advisory committee he chairs to review the polling criteria.

In other actions, the committee:

Re-elected Edward McLean, athletics director at Elizabeth City State University, as committee chair.

Clarified that the secondary team-selection criteria of late-season performance be specified as the last four regular-season games.

Recommended to the Division II Championships Committee that an alternate official be assigned to each playoff game and be paid $75, plus mileage, effective with the 2002 championships.

Rewrote the policies on field telephones and videotape exchange for the 2001 championship handbook.