The NCAA Divisions I, II and III Men's and Women's Tennis Committees reached several key decisions July 7-10 in Indianapolis, most of them from the Division II committee, which made significant recommendations about the selection process and conduct of the championship.

The Division II group may have been inspired by the fact that the 2003 men's and women's championships will enjoy a single venue for all rounds of finals competition. The Central Florida Sports Commission will host the 2003 championship May 8-11 at Seminole County Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The facility boasts 26 courts, which enables all men's and women's matches to be played at one site.

Selection to and play at the 2003 championships also will differ if several recommendations made by the Division II tennis committee are approved by the Division II Championships Committee in September. One recommendation concerning the championship format proposes regional rotation for tournament pairings. The committee felt the move would better align the selection process with the Division II regionalization philosophy and assist the committee in determining teams' strengths on a national level.

The committee also recommended that the third-place match be eliminated from the championships. Among other things, the committee felt that the match has lost its significance through the years and that student-athletes are more inclined to return home after being eliminated from the event.

The Division II group also revised the selection criteria to streamline the selection process and assist the membership in understanding how teams are selected to the championship. The following order of selection criteria has been forwarded to the championships committee for approval:

Primary factors

Division II in-region won-lost record and strength of schedule;

Division II head-to-head competition;

Division II results against teams under consideration (excluding head-to-head);

Division II late-season results (conference tournament results or the last three matches of the season);

Division II results vs. common opponents;

Overall won/lost record and overall strength of schedule; and

Eligibility and availability of student-athletes.

When teams under consideration are tied on all primary criteria, the national committee will select teams by looking at the following criteria in rank priority order between those teams:

Head-to-head competition;

In-region strength of schedule;

In-region won-lost record;

In-region strength of schedule;

Results against Division II opponents outside region; and

In-region results against teams already selected.

Finally, based on a directive from the championships committee, the tennis committee created a strength-of-schedule index to assist during the selection process. The index awards a team points for wins and losses against teams with varying win percentages. Those points are tallied with several factors when determining strength of schedule (see accompanying chart).

Divisions I and III actions

The Division I tennis committee recommended to the Championships/Competition Cabinet that host institutions for first- and second-round play have the option of conducting Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday formats. The move would give more institutions the option of hosting.

Regarding championships formats, the committee discussed several alternatives. The committee is compiling a list of potential formats that will be sent to the membership in the fall for review and comment.

Finally, to ensure that student-athletes have a quality experience, the committee stressed the importance of receiving completed facility evaluations.

In Division III, a new date formula will take effect for the 2003 championship. The formula stipulates that first and second rounds begin the first Saturday in May for the women's championships. The men can begin play the first weekend in May. Quarterfinal matches begin the second Wednesday after the completion of the first and second rounds.