The Division III Championships Committee has begun the process of reviewing automatic qualification. At its meeting January 24-26 in Indianapolis, the committee formed a subcommittee to examine feedback from the membership on the issue.

The Subcommittee to Review Automatic Qualification will meet monthly through this spring via conference call, and it will review the feedback already received from the membership, as well as any additional feedback that is submitted. The subcommittee will report to the Division III Championships Committee at its meeting in June. By that time, the subcommittee will have identified common threads in the feedback from the membership, and it will present that information to the Championships Committee.

The Championships Committee then probably will discuss the possible direction of automatic qualification at its June meeting. If the Championships Committee at that time recommends any legislative changes, those would be forwarded to the Division III Management Council for review at its July meeting. Any legislative proposals (see NCAA Bylaw 31) would have to be approved by the Management Council and the Presidents Council. It is not necessary for the membership to approve Bylaw 31 changes, although the governance structure could decide to forward significant legislative revisions for a vote at the 2002 NCAA Convention.

Any proposed changes that would not require legislation, such as a change in how an "evaluation region" is defined, for example, would be discussed at the 2002 NCAA Convention to provide an opportunity for the membership to provide feedback.

With the AQ principles in mind, the Championships Committee also reviewed Pools A, B and C, indicating that the committee will consider possible adjustments when it reviews other proposed changes.

The earliest that any changes would be implemented is the 2002-03 season.

The Championships Committee also reviewed the sports-sponsorship report in detail, examining brackets and field sizes. It noted that brackets were within established ratios, but indicated that it would continue to review brackets and field sizes, with a view toward enhancing participant opportunities, as resources become available.

The Subcommittee to Review the Championships Experience also will review feedback collected from the membership at the 2001 NCAA Convention regarding site-selection philosophies and procedures and hosting championships. This group will report to the Championships Committee at its June meeting.

In other action, the Championships Committee:

* Reaffirmed a previous recommendation to the Management Council that a proposed NCAA Women's Volleyball Rules Committee be composed of four members from Division I, two members from Division II and two members from Division III, plus a nonvoting secretary-rules editor. The committee noted that it believed this committee should mirror the composition of all such rules committees currently existing in the Association rather than include additional Division I members as had been proposed elsewhere in the governance structure.

* Recommended funding to establish the Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship for 2001-02.

* Recommended funding to establish the Division III Women's Rowing Championship for 2001-02.