The Division II Presidents Council is considering new initiatives that may be possible for the 2002-03 fiscal year and beyond.

At its November 1 meeting in Indianapolis, the presidents noted that almost $5 million will be available for new initiatives beginning in the 2002-03 fiscal year. That figure should rise to $7.2 million by 2006-07 as revenue from the new CBS television contract grows.

The possible new initiatives are in addition to programs that already have been added to the Division II long-range budget.

The concepts under consideration are tentative and would require only a portion of the funding that is expected to be available. Also, because of the uncertainty that exists in the wake of the September 11 disasters, the Division II Budget and Finance Committee may take a cautious approach. Still, the proposed programs will be the foundation upon which future fiscal discussions are based.

Possible new initiatives for 2002-03 include the following:

Baseball drug-testing program. This would cover a new in-season drug-testing program for Division II baseball-playing schools. (A pilot program for baseball drug-testing will be initiated this spring.) Annual cost: $120,000.

Stipend/payment for Division II tennis regionals. This would cover costs associated with regional competition for tennis -- one of a few sports where expenses are not provided for regional competition. Annual cost: $200,000.

Division II 2004 spring sports festival. This expense would cover unexpected costs associated with organizing and conducting the quadrennial Division II spring sports festival, which will debut in 2004. One-time expense: $50,000.

Increase funding for Division II student-athlete regional leadership conferences from $100,000 to $250,000. Annual cost: $150,000.

Division II graduation-rates report. This expense would help cover costs associated with developing a supplemental report to the current report required by the federal Student Right-to-Know Act. Annual cost: $50,000.

Conference YES clinic initiatives. This funding would develop a YES clinic model for Division II conference championships and events. Annual cost: $50,000.

Initiatives that support the Division II strategic plan that previously had been approved for the 2002-03 fiscal year include the following: additional funds for the conference SAAC program ($125,000); regional student-athlete leadership conferences ($100,000); expenses paid for both indoor and outdoor track ($300,000); additional funds for the conference faculty athletics representative program ($55,000); basketball bracket expansion ($350,000); championship per diem increase ($300,000); championship marketing pilot program ($100,000); additional funds for the senior administrator program ($125,000); Division II public identity ($50,000); technology to enhance communication ($240,000); and amateurism legislation education ($10,000).

"Binding financial commitments for Division II are made for the short term -- two years at a time beginning this year -- but the proposed new initiatives for the next several years are based on the Division II strategic plan and long-range budget plan, both of which are constantly reviewed by the Division II Management Council and Presidents Council," said Mike L. Racy, Division II chief of staff. "So, while these figures may not be an exact projection of how Division II will use its resources over the next several years, they do represent where our leadership wants the division to go."

Other business

The other main item of business was the election of a new Presidents Council member to replace Gladys Styles Johnston of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and the ratification of five new Management Council members and a new Management Council chair.

The presidents elected George J. Hagerty of Franklin Pierce College to replace Johnston and ratified the election of the following Management Council members: Mary White, faculty athletics representative, Lees-McRae College (Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference); Sue Willey, senior woman administrator, University of Indianapolis (Great Lakes Valley Conference); Paul Engelmann, faculty athletics representative, Central Missouri State University (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association); Sunday Adesuyi, faculty athletics representative, St. Paul's College (at large); and Robertha Abney, senior woman administrator, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (at large). They also confirmed the selection of Mike Marcil, commissioner of the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, as new Management Council chair. All appointments are effective at the conclusion of the 2002 Convention.

The presidents questioned whether it was proper to permit Willey and Engelmann to serve on the Council since they would be replacing Ken Borden and Jerry Hughes, who represent the same institutions. However, a discussion revealed that conferences nominate slates of candidates without knowing what "valued roles" (athletics directors, faculty representatives, senior woman administrators) will need to be filled.

For example, the MIAA submitted a slate of four candidates that included an athletics director, a senior woman administrator, a faculty athletics representative and a commissioner. Various factors pointed toward the need for the MIAA representative to be a faculty athletics representative, which was Engelmann. The same principle applied to Willey.

The presidents ultimately supported the choices, but they did ask for the Management Council to be as inclusive as possible and to be mindful of involving as many institutions as possible. The group also noted that enough time has passed since restructuring was implemented in 1997 to build a document showing how institutions have been represented on the Management and Presidents Councils.

Other highlights

Division II Presidents Council
November 1/Indianapolis

Agreed to support membership Proposal Nos. 2-30, 2-31 and 2-39; oppose Proposal No. 2-8; and take no action on Proposal No. 2-12.

Approved a Management Council decision to include rugby as a new emerging sport for women but also agreed to ask the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports for research about health and safety factors associated with rugby.

Approved a recommendation to eliminate the requirement that a female must have earned a varsity letter to be nominated for the Theodore Roosevelt Award.

Approved a recommendation to require that outdoor tracks and permanent indoor tracks be surveyed after initial installation and after resurfacing and that portable indoor tracks be surveyed before the first competition each year.

Approved a proposal to explore enhancing the certificates that are awarded to championships participants.

Agreed to add a study of bracket expansion for the men's and women's soccer championships to the Division II strategic plan.

Discussed the development of a book to promote Division II identity. The 12- to 16-page book is expected to be available in the spring of 2002.

Voted to amend the 2002 NCAA Convention schedule to include a presentation on enhancing the role of the senior woman administrator in the issues section of the chief executive officer luncheon.

Extended the life of the Amateurism Project Team by six months.